The individual behind the controversial Twitter handle aired on ABC flagship program Q&A on Monday has denied any connection to Zaky Mallah.

Mallah was the cause of recent tensions between the ABC and the Federal Government and tweeted congratulations to Gregg Schurch, the name associated with the parody Twitter account ‘@AbbottLovesA***’.

The handle was published with a comment as panellists discussed public life and political memoirs on the program on Monday night.

• Zaky Mallah defends Q&A appearance
• Zaky Mallah repeats threats
• Tony Abbott: ‘Heads should roll at the ABC’

“The ‘Abbott Loves A***’ account is a friend of mine. I never thought he will make it after my fiasco loll [sic]. Great work mate,” Mallah wrote on Twitter.

But Mr Schruch denied any connection to Mallah.

“I’d just like to say I have no affiliation with the fool Zakky [sic] Mallah. He wishes he knew me,” Mr Schurch wrote.

Many images of the onscreen gaffe feature political commentator Annabel Crabb, who was speaking to the audience at the time it appeared.

It prompted a light-hearted response from the notoriously witty journalist.

“As you can imagine, I’m pretty disappointed about the inadvertent misspelling of the #AbbottLovesAnnabel hashtag on @QandA,” she wrote.

The ABC apologised following the publication of the crude Twitter handle ridiculing Prime Minister Tony Abbott, after it appeared among the onscreen comments.

The post stated “i prefer ones twitter feed to their biographies #qanda”, but it was the handle ‘@AbbottLovesA***’ that generated condemnation.

An ABC spokesman told 9news.com.au that the network had “apologised to the Prime Minister this morning” and they “regret any offence this may have caused”.

“This particular Tweet was not published on purpose and the ABC regrets any offence this may have caused.”