Political tensions simmered on Nine's Today show on Friday after co-host Allison Langdon joked that newsreader Alex Cullen was secretly 'woke'.
Cullen was reporting on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's visit to New York City on Thursday - their first public appearance since the birth of their daughter, Lilibet - when he made a throwaway remark about the royal couple's social justice activism.
But his joke about the Sussexes being 'woke' didn't sit well with Langdon, who hinted Cullen was just as politically progressive as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Awkward! Political tensions simmered on Nine's Today show on Friday after co-host Allison Langdon (right, with Karl Stefanovic) joked that newsreader Alex Cullen was secretly 'woke'
Cullen, 40, noted that Harry and Meghan were set to appear at a live concert hosted by Global Citizen, an advocacy organisation dedicated to ending poverty, which is run by Australian-born Hugh Evans.
'[Evans] knows how to pull a crowd,' remarked co-host Karl Stefanovic, adding: '... a very woke crowd.'
'You can't get more woke than those two, can you?' asked Cullen, to which Stefanovic replied: 'You can't!'
'Sorry, my friend!' Cullen (pictured) was reporting on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's visit to New York City on Thursday when he made a throwaway remark about the royal couple's social justice activism. But his joke about the Sussexes being 'woke' didn't sit well with Langdon, who hinted Cullen was just as politically progressive as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Langdon's ears pricked up at Cullen's comment, which she felt was disingenuous.
'Listen to you when you're calling out wokeness!' she said, implying her colleague was just as 'woke' as the Sussexes.
Sensing a line had been crossed, Stefanovic interjected: 'Ally, that was very personal. We can [have a] go at Harry and Megs, but not people you work with every day.'
Langdon, 42, laughed off the tension and asked Cullen: 'Are you okay? I don't know if we are... Sorry, my friend!'
'I will be [okay],' Cullen said solemnly, shuffling his notes at the news desk.
The Today show then threw to a live cross with roving weather reporter Tim Davies, who made light of the situation in the studio.
'Well, I woke up this morning. That's about as woke as I'm going to get,' Davies said.
Public appearance: The Duchess of Sussex said it was 'wonderful' to be back in New York as she and the Duke of Sussex made their first visit to the Big Apple together on Thursday
The Duchess of Sussex said it was 'wonderful' to be back in New York as she and the Duke of Sussex made their first visit to the Big Apple together on Thursday.
Harry and Meghan's autumn trip to the East Coast saw them head to the city's One World Trade Center, built on the site of the twin towers which were destroyed in the September 11 attacks.
The couple were dressed sombrely for the occasion, which comes two weeks after the 20th anniversary of the terrorist atrocity.
Meghan, with her hair in a bun, wore a navy high-necked coat, turtleneck jumper and trousers and stiletto heels, while Harry wore a black single-breasted suit and dark tie.
Asked by a reporter if she was enjoying her trip to New York, Meghan smiled and replied: 'It's wonderful to be back, thank you.'
Harry gazed at his wife as she spoke and smiled.
Asked the same question, the duke echoed Meghan's sentiments, saying: 'It's wonderful, thank you.'
The pair wore black face masks as they moved around the observatory, taking them off as they stood for photographs.
The visit is the couple's first public appearance together since the birth of their daughter, Lilibet, in June, and their first major public trip post-Megxit.
They posed for the media at the top of the skyscraper against the panoramic backdrop, alongside New York City mayor Bill
