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.
“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.”
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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.
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.
