'Wheel of Fortune' fires Jim Thornton after alleged online chat room incident

'Wheel of Fortune announcer' Jim Thornton fired by Sony following investigation into allegations concerning him

Sony Pictures Television has terminated Jim Thornton’s employment as the announcer of Wheel of Fortune following an investigation into allegations concerning the broadcaster.

The studio confirmed Thornton’s departure in a statement, saying his employment with Wheel of Fortune had been terminated effective immediately. He will not return when the game show begins its new season on September 14.

According to reports, an interim announcer has re-recorded Thornton’s parts for upcoming episodes, while Sony has not announced a permanent replacement.

Thornton’s firing comes after photos published by TMZ allegedly showed his laptop screen while he was travelling on an American Airlines flight. The images reportedly appeared to show disturbing conversations involving minors. The alleged incident took place in May, when another passenger reportedly alerted a flight attendant about the content displayed on Thornton’s laptop.

Authorities reportedly questioned Thornton after the flight landed at Los Angeles International Airport. Neither Thornton nor his lawyer has publicly addressed the allegations.

An attorney who said she represented Thornton told TMZ that he had become involved in suicide-prevention advocacy following the death of a close family member and had visited online chat rooms to support people experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Sony previously announced that Thornton had been suspended while the company conducted an investigation.

Thornton joined Wheel of Fortune in 2010 after the death of longtime announcer Charlie O’Donnell. He also worked as a substitute announcer on The Price Is Right and provided the voice for Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.

Beyond game shows, Thornton has credits including Celebrity Deathmatch, The Cleveland Show and Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!. He has also worked in Los Angeles radio and received several broadcasting honours during his career.