Man blacks out during live TV debate (+video)

A man who blacked out during a live television debate in Australia was recovering from a bout of influenza when he collapsed.

GetUp! director Simon Sheikh slumped forward as panellists on ABC's Q&A program discussed carbon tax and climate change, with his head making an audible thud as it hit the desk.

GetUp! said in a statement that Mr Sheikh was taken to Liverpool Hospital on Monday night and doctors had given him the all-clear.

But he was ordered to rest and recover from flu that he's had for several weeks, GetUp! said.

"We have a number of important campaigns we are working hard on at GetUp! right now and perhaps like a lot of us, I have been burning the candle at both ends," Mr Sheikh said in a statement.

Earlier, Mr Sheikh had taken to Twitter from his hospital bed.

"For those watching Q&A sorry I couldn't stay - I'm in hospital, thanks for all your support," he wrote.

He had been attempting to drink a glass of water just before collapsing, with speculation he may have suffered a seizure.

"I'm not quite sure what Simon's doing there, is he okay? ... He's not okay," Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said as Mr Sheikh slumped over.

Mr Combet and members of the show's crew rushed to his aid.

He regained a degree of consciousness and muttered a few words before staggering to his feet.

"I'm sorry, I passed out," a groggy looking Mr Sheikh said before being helped backstage.

Q&A host Tony Jones said a few minutes later that Mr Sheikh had suffered a seizure and had been taken for a checkup.

Mr Sheikh's wife was at the show and went with him to the hospital.

Twitter users had suggested that Mr Sheikh struggled with a couple of his answers earlier in the program.

Twitter users also criticised opposition MP Sophie Mirabella for her apparent failure to react to Mr Sheikh's collapse.

On its website, GetUp! says it is an "independent, grass-roots community advocacy organisation which aims to build a more progressive Australia by giving everyday Australians the opportunity to get involved and hold politicians accountable on important issues".

- AAP