ABC TV has issued a statement apologising for a sketch in last night's The Chaser's War on Everything which poked fun at dying children and outraged the Make a Wish Foundation.

The sketch shows Chaser members Andrew Hansen and Chris Taylor asking child actors posing as dying children what they wished for.

It ended with Taylor saying there was no point in making expensive wishes come true when the children were "going to die any way".

This morning Make-A Wish Australia said The Chaser's skit could traumatise families already affected by children battling life-threatening illnesses.

"One of the first things we were upset about was that a lot of our families and children would have been watching that," Make-A-Wish communications general manager Janita Friend told News Limited today.

The segment showed a child wishing they could go to Disneyland and being handed a pencil case instead.

In a statement released this morning, ABC TV director Kim Dalton and The Chaser's executive producer Julian Morrow said last night's show 'Making a Realistic Wish Foundation' was a satirical sketch and black comedy.

"The ABC and The Chaser did not intend to hurt those who have been affected by the terminal illness of a child," they said.

"We acknowledge the distress the segment has caused and we apologise to anyone we have upset."

The ABC was inundated with callers this morning outraged by the skit and calling The Chaser to be axed, according to reports.

The Chaser's skit, Make a Realistic Wish Foundation, said the "foundation's" purpose was about "helping thousands of kids to lower their extravagance and selfishness in the face of death".

Last month four of the Chaser team were arrested in Rome after they launched a blimp over St Peter's Square in the Vatican.

Operated by remote-control, the blimp, with a rope attached, read: "Young Boys Inside: Pull Down If You Want One". Onlookers gawked at the aerial show until officials approached Reucassel, demanding the blimp be brought down, and he complied.

ABC TV will edit the segment out of tonight's repeat screening on ABC2 and online.

SYDNEY