'Wheel of Fortune' Producers 'Risk Losing' Host Ryan Seacrest After 'Volcano of Bad Press' Over Jim Thornton Scandal

Wheel of Fortune host Ryan Seacrest may not be able to dodge the game show's latest scandal, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

Jim Thornton, the announcer of the iconic program, was suspended after allegedly being caught in a controversial chatroom for adults attracted to minors. While he's being scrubbed from the franchise, Seacrest's scandal-avoidant brand means the network bosses are afraid he'll walk.

An insider pushed the onus onto Sony TV to "call the shots" about Thornton's suspension and how to proceed. An insider told Closer Weekly the former announcer "went from a cog in the WoF machine to a volcano of bad press for the franchise overnight."

They've turned their attention away from Thornton, who was a legacy member of the team, and onto Seacrest and Vanna White, hoping to retain the talent. The insider described Seacrest as "somebody who is particularly allergic to any kind of scandal and innuendo."

Thus, Sony may have an uphill battle to "put the focus back on the episodes." They are hoping to isolate the remaining audience-facing talent to save them "from the damage this is doing to the show's reputation."

A source told the publication that Seacrest's attachment to the show is already slipping.

"Ryan doesn't need these kinds of bad vibes when he's still deciding how much more time he wants to devote to this job," the insider claimed. "Sony needs to incentivize him to stick around and weather this storm with them, and they need to do that as soon as possible!"

Seacrest, 51, replaced Pat Sajak as the show's host on September 9, 2024, teaming up with White. Sajak left the show after hosting it since 1981.

Thornton became the permanent announcer in September 2011 after beginning on the show in late 2010 as a rotating guest. He replaced Charlie O'Donnell.

In photos obtained by TMZ, Thornton was seen scrolling through a chatroom, which is meant to facilitate conversations between people attracted to minors, while on a flight. A passenger reported the behavior, and airport police reportedly spoke with him. They let him go with no charges pressed or any allegations of criminal activity.

However, after Wheel of Fortune producers conducted an investigation, they chose to suspend Thornton from his position.

Thornton's lawyer, Allison Hart, said in a statement that the announcer became "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."

Hart claimed Thornton was under the impression the site was for suicide prevention. She added that the chatroom is "not unlawful, there is no unlawful child p---ography or other p--------- content, and my client never viewed, downloaded or consumed any child p---ography whether on that commercial flight in May or at any other time."

The chatroom released a statement to explain its purpose. They claimed they operate "a support chat room for people attracted to children and adolescents." However, the site is not meant to promote individuals acting on those urges or any "illicit behavior, including the sharing of criminalized images."

"It exists because most people attracted to minors are fully capable of behaving responsibly, yet extremely distressed by the stigmatization of their feelings," the statement said. "They need a place to talk, ensuring better mental health, leading to more positive outcomes for themselves and their local communities."

The site noted, "Who would seek therapy under the very real threat of being outed and shunned as a 'p--------'?" They argued the existence of the site helped deter some from acting on their urges.

They added, "The metaphorical lynching of the celebrity who allegedly visited our chat illustrates this clearly."