Today’s Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo left in shock over schoolboy’s very off-colour joke about vegans

Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo were left in stitches, after a primary school-aged viewer offered a cheeky joke about vegans. 

The Today show stars were left red-faced as the innocent-looking boy started by asking the pair a question. 

‘A vegan and a vegetarian are jumping off a cliff to see who will hit the bottom first. Who wins?’ he asked, as the pair looked perplexed. 

‘I don’t know,’ Karl said. ‘Who wins?’ Sarah added. 

The youngster didn’t miss a beat as he said, ‘society.’

The pair burst out laughing at the dark joke, with Karl almost falling off the couch. 

Newsreader Brooke Boney also had her hand over her mouth, as she laughed in a fit of shock and horror. 

‘We weren’t expected that,’ Sarah said, laughing. 

It comes as Sunrise continues to dominate in the ratings over Nine, with viewers warming to newcomer, Matt Shirvington. 

The former Olympian made his official debut as co-host, replacing David Koch in June, with the breakfast show getting a boost. 

In May, the Today show boss Steve ‘Burlo’ Burling come out swinging against a Daily Telegraph story saying the show was in crisis. 

The article claimed the ‘beleaguered’ breakfast program is in crisis due to ‘diving’ ratings and viewers supposedly not warming to new co-host Sarah Abo. 

However, in an extraordinary statement to Daily Mail Australia, Steve called the report a ‘fabrication’ based on an outmoded method of TV ratings measurement.

The kid said ‘A vegan and a vegetarian are jumping off a cliff to see who will hit the bottom first. Who wins?’ he asked, as the pair looked perplexed. The youngster went on to say ‘society’ 

The story also alleged there have been tensions among the Today show’s presenters, after newsreader Alex Cullen was relegated to the sports desk while entertainment reporter Brooke Boney stepped up to the news desk.

This reshuffle at the start of the year – which coincided with Abo replacing Allison Langdon as co-anchor – is said to have culminated in Cullen making his displeasure known on air by ‘deadpanning’ Stefanovic and Abo.

This incident reportedly resulted in Burling holding a ‘closed-door meeting’ with Cullen. 

It comes as Sunrise continues to dominate in the ratings over Nine, with viewers warming to newcomer, Matt Shirvington. Pictured 

Burling hit back at this damning report, telling Daily Mail Australia it was all rubbish.

‘The story published today is total fabrication and a distortion of the old-fashioned and out of date overnight ratings system,’ he said. 

‘We are in a good position with Today and Today Extra in metropolitan and east coast audiences, and in the all-important younger demographics.

‘Our team is working brilliantly together and our audience response to the line-up couldn’t be more positive,’ he finished. 

Nine’s Today boss hit back at claims the network was unhappy with the breakfast show’s performance in May, calling it a ‘fabrication’. Pictured: Sarah Abo at this year’s Logies