Wheel of Fortune is making another major change ahead of its upcoming 44th season.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Wheel of Fortune hosts Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White recently appeared on ABC's Good Morning America. They appeared to promote the hit game show's 44th season.
'Wheel of Fortune' Announces New Addition For 44th Season
During their appearance, the Wheel of Fortune hosts revealed that the game show would be implementing something new this season. A rapid-fire game that will give contestants a shot at winning an extra thousand bucks for each puzzle that they solve. But the contestants have to be quicker on their heels, as they'll have less time to solve. Seacrest says that the rapid-fire segment will be an "exciting" addition to the game show.
"This is exciting," Seacrest said (via PEOPLE). "A lot of people say, 'How do you get more games in his show? It's not a long show.' So we're squeezing more gameplay at the top of the show with a rapid-fire game that we just started to have, which I love."
The Wheel of Fortune host adds that the rapid-fire portion at the top of the game will serve as a sort of icebreaker. This will help shake off any initial nerves that contestants may have.
"It shakes off the nerves of the contestants at the top," the 51-year-old added. "Because they're so excited. The adrenaline is pumping and rushing," he says. "And they've got to focus right in on playing the game, and I noticed that when we did some of the first episodes."
Game Show Axes Longtime Host
This is the second major shakeup that Wheel of Fortune has made ahead of its 44th season. On Friday (September 8), they announced the termination of longtime announcer Jim Thornton.
The news came hours after TMZ dropped explosive new details about Thornton's May 2026 incident on an American Airlines flight.
One passenger saw the messages on Jim's laptop, snapped a photo of him and the texts, and immediately alerted one of the flight attendants on board. Law enforcement was notified and met the ex-Wheel of Fortune announcer at his gate once he had deplaned. However, upon a brief discussion with the police, it was determined that Thornton had not committed any crime. Thus, he was free to go.
Thornton has since proclaimed his innocence. He cited that he was sent an incorrect link while seeking support for individuals experiencing suicidal ideation. Following the loss of a close family member.
The 44th season of Wheel of Fortune premieres on September 14
