EXCLUSIVE: Ryan Seacrest's 'Future on Wheel of Fortune Rocked by Scandal'
Ryan Seacrest's 'Wheel of Fortune' future is rocked by scandal.
Oct. 1 2026, Published 7:30 a.m. ET
Wheel of Fortune is spinning out of control in the chaotic aftermath of the firing of announcer Jim Thornton – and some fear skittish emcee Ryan Seacrest may race for the door, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Thornton, 61, was axed Sept. 4 after pictures emerged suggesting that he may have browsed a pedophilia chatroom while aboard an American Airlines plane on May 14.
Thornton's Firing Rocks 'Wheel' Franchise
Jim Thornton, fired from 'Wheel of Fortune,' denied allegations of wrongdoing.
Photos taken by a fellow passenger reportedly show a laptop screen with disturbing messages such as: "A nice hangout for kids. Saw a couple of cute boys and a hot little girl" and "All-you-can-eat Boyffet."
The onlooker notified a flight attendant and raised concerns about what Thornton was viewing. Law enforcement reportedly met him at the gate upon arrival.
He was questioned and released – but was not arrested.
Thornton, who had served as announcer since 2011, has denied all allegations of wrongdoing, and his attorney points out there was no illegal content on the website, which her client claims he visited unintentionally.
Still, an insider shared: "This entire scandal continues to be a terrible situation for the Wheel of Fortune universe, which includes the people making the show, its millions of fans and the bosses at Sony TV who call the shots. Thornton's firing underlines the fact that he went from a cog in the Wheel of Fortune machine to a volcano of bad press for the franchise overnight."
Sony Moves to Protect Seacrest and White
An insider said Seacrest needs incentives to stay following Thornton's exit.
Now, the insider explained, the focus for Sony Pictures TV is on "insulating" Seacrest, 51, and leggy letter-turner Vanna White, 69, from any damage this may have done to the show's reputation.
The insider added: "Jim was a key player in the Wheel of Fortune production. It's going to be very difficult for Sony to put the focus back on the episodes they've been pumping out when Jim's exit is so fresh in everybody's minds."
Seacrest Wants Distance From 'Scandal'
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An insider said Seacrest needs incentives to stay following Thornton's exit.
The insider continued: "Ryan is somebody who is particularly allergic to any kind of scandal or innuendo.
"Ryan doesn't need these kinds of bad vibes. Sony needs to incentivize him to stick around and weather this storm with them – and they need to do that as soon as possible."
