ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

'Wheel of Fortune' contestant makes even Jim Thornton 'nervous' with his incredible voice

Thornton has been part of the show for more than 10 years but even his job isn't secure.
PUBLISHED JAN 23, 2025
Screenshots showing the contestant and Jim Thornton on "Wheel of Fortune" (Cover image source: Instagram | @wheeloffortune)
Screenshots showing the contestant and Jim Thornton on "Wheel of Fortune" (Cover image source: Instagram | @wheeloffortune)

Although Pat Sajak was the face of "Wheel of Fortune" for decades, Jim Thornton managed to establish himself as the voice that fans recognize. He’s the one who introduces the hosts as well as the contestants and announces the prizes, which is a job he is pretty good at. However, he recently faced some competition from a contestant who wasn't on the show just for the prizes but also dreamt of becoming a game show host in the future. When host Ryan Seacrest asked him to do a bit of announcing, the contestant also showed that he had the right voice for it, making Thornton feel threatened.

The name of the contestant is TR Campbell and he believes that Thornton has the ideal job. This led to a small exchange between the two in which the current announcer asked if it was always his dream to become an announcer as per Monsters & Critics. Campbell said that it wasn't the case and revealed that he wanted to be a game show host at first. Seacrest seemed a bit disappointed as he didn’t understand why he let that dream go.

Screenshot showing a disappointed Ryan Seacrest. (Image credit: Instagram | @wheeloffortune)
Screenshot showing a disappointed Ryan Seacrest. (Image source: Instagram | @wheeloffortune)

“What’s wrong with being the host?” he asked. Campbell then explained that he didn’t feel very comfortable in front of the camera, even though he seemed at home as a contestant in front of the camera. “I like being in my little box and being the guy behind the microphone,” he said. Thornton agreed with this assessment describing his job as the “coolest gig.”

Seacrest then asked the contestant to announce himself and say “$10,000” the way the current announcer says it. Let’s just say that he was pretty good. “He’s pretty good, Jim,” the host quipped, to which Thornton replied, “I’m getting nervous here. I got nothing to add. Good job TR.” The audience in the studio also acknowledged the contestant’s talent and honored him with a round of applause. However, the long-time host is still a beloved member of the game show.


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Wheel of Fortune (@wheeloffortune)


 

Thornton has been around for more than a decade and has overseen the show's transition from Pat Sajak to Ryan Seacrest as the host. While he might not be the one on television screens every night, his voice is a major part of the show. For that, he earns a substantial amount of money. Game show announcers are often overlooked but fans notice the difference once someone new takes on the role.

Thornton gets a lot of love from the show’s viewers and when the show released a video celebrating his 10th anniversary as the announcer, fans flooded the comments section with love and respect.



 

“It's a great honour to JIM  with respect was the magical voice that has been with us for the past decade. Salute to you Jim,” user @patricklim4452 commented. “Jim’s done a fine job on this show, and I know Charlie and Jack are applauding him, together. Congratulations on 10 fabulous years with Wheel of Fortune, Mr. Thornton,” @chrisfinch8637 quipped.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
Carey suffered a similar snafu a few months ago while playing the same game of 'Bullseye'.
10 hours ago
Fans also share some tips that could've helped Bain win the bonus round but it was too late.
11 hours ago
Emily Croke coincidentally got the question related to her great-great aunt, Emily Folger.
12 hours ago
Luckily for the veteran host, no one in the studio caught the mistake on time.
13 hours ago
The executive producer of the show, Michael Davies later apologized for the spoiled show.
14 hours ago
Even the seasoned expert was stumped by the unusual subject of the painting.
15 hours ago
In the end, Mr Wonderful cut off Greiner with a deal that the founder of Wad Free couldn't refuse.
1 day ago
Seacrest got geniunely spooked as he couldn't figure out who played a prank on him.
1 day ago
The seller brought some "Secret Service" memorabilia of former Attorney General J. Howard McGrath.
1 day ago
The guest was already emotional because of the backstory involving native Alaskans.
2 days ago
The player once again fumbled a puzzle despite moving forward in the game.
2 days ago
The host didn't want to get more of the weird answers on the show anymore.
2 days ago
The founder of Beyond Sushi impressed the Sharks with 100% plant based flavors.
2 days ago
The Shark jumped back in to the deal as he thought his wife would love the product.
3 days ago
The guest who bought the item at a charity store had no idea that it was over 3,000 years old.
3 days ago
When the rare coin showed up on Harrison's table, he had to take his old man's approval for the deal.
4 days ago
Fans said that such behavior was unnecessary and slammed the antics as self-congratulatory.
4 days ago
Several customers took to social media to complain about spoilt milk that they purchased from the store.
4 days ago
Despite the massive appraisal, the brothers shared that they would never sell their collection.
4 days ago
Harrison is often impressed by suits belonging to legendary musicians or actors.
4 days ago