A Michael Jackson tribute act has caused uproar in Australia after they sang a Jackson 5 medley with 'blacked up' faces.

The controversial performance took place on an episode of the long-running variety TV show, Hey Hey It's Saturday.

Four singers from the group, named The Jackson Jive, wore afro wigs and had black make-up on their faces, while the singer pretending to be Jackson had white make-up on.

Guest judge US singer Harry Connick Jr was left shocked by the performance and said he would not have agreed to appear on the show had he known about the group.

After giving them a zero score, he said: "On behalf of my country I know it was done humorously, but we’ve spent so much time trying to not make black people look like buffoons that when we see something like that we take it really to heart."

Host Daryl Somers later apologised to Connick Jr, and said: “I know that to your countrymen, that's an insult to have a blackface routine."

In an interview with Sky News, Somers also said sorry to any viewers who may have been offended, but added: “To most Australians I think it's a storm in a tea cup.”

The Jackson Jive, which is fronted by plastic surgeon Dr Anand Deva, have also apologised over the performance.

He told a Melbourne radio station: “Clearly, all of us want to apologise. I mean we have offended some people no doubt.

“So I want to say on behalf of all of us that this was really not intended ... [to be] anything to do with racism at all.”

Jackson died at the age of 50 in June. His death has been ruled as homicide.

(by Jason Gregory)