David Cameron and Ed Miliband have been put on the spot over immigration, the EU and spending plans in the first set-piece TV broadcast of the election.
The PM said he had “turned the economy around” while the Labour leader said he was “tough enough” to be PM.
Jeremy Paxman began the Channel 4/Sky programme by grilling Mr Cameron about food banks and zero hours contracts reported BBC.
Mr Miliband said his relationship with brother David was “healing” after their bruising leadership battle.
At the end of Mr Miliband’s interview, host Paxman was caught on microphone: “Are you OK, Ed?”
The programme was not a direct debate between the two leaders. Rather, each man faced a separate interview with Channel 4’s Paxman and also answered questions from a studio audience, moderated by Sky’s Kay Burley.
Both parties claimed afterwards that their man did best, but an early ICM opinion poll for the Guardian suggested Mr Cameron shaded it, with 54% of of the 1,123 viewers surveyed saying they thought the PM “won”.
It was not a head-to-head debate. But it was a back-to-back job interview and a good one at that.
It gave voters the chance to see the two men who could be our prime minister tested, above all, by Jeremy Paxman’s robust questioning.
And both men were revealed to be vulnerable over their records in office and their promises for the future.
David Cameron was forced to admit to his missed targets on immigration and the deficit.
And Ed Miliband was forced into the defensive over Labour’s past record on the economy and immigration.
Others will judge who won and lost. The polls said Mr Cameron edged it.
The watching political classes thought Mr Miliband put in a good performance, one that exceeded expectations.