Wheel of Fortune Announcer Jim Thornton Fired Following Pedophilia Allegations

Thornton was allegedly spotted in an airplane perusing pedophile chat sites.

Most people likely didn't have this on their bingo cards for 2026: Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton has been fired. Sony made the announcement yesterday, saying in a statement that "Following a thorough investigation, Jim Thornton’s employment with ‘Wheel of Fortune’ has been terminated, effective immediately." While that alone would be shocking, it's the reason for his dismissal that has people abuzz. Sony had announced midweek that it was suspending Thornton following allegations that the company did not elaborate on. It wasn't long after that tabloid site TMZ got ahold of photos of Thornton aboard an airplane where the broadcaster was seemingly scrolling through a pedophile chat site. Here are the images, courtesy of TMZ:

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Sony has subsequently fired Thornton following the reveal of these photos. The incident occurred this past May. A fellow passenger on Thornton's flight alerted a stewardess about the content on his laptop screen, and the announcer was then questioned by police after the plane landed. In an effort to explain why he was in this chatroom, Thornton's attorney states that he "become active in suicide-prevention advocacy since losing a close family member to suicide two years ago and he has spent time visiting chat rooms offering support to individuals suffering from suicidal ideation." Thornton nor his attorney have commented on the situation since the firing.

When the show resumes on September 14, it will be without Thornton. While he had already recorded episodes for the new season, an interim announcer has voiced new dialogue which will be played in place of Thornton's.

Source: Variety + TMZ