BBC TV debate: Ed Miliband mocked for 'thinking he's at Wrestlemania' as challenge to David Cameron backfires spectacularly

The call-out was met – but only by Cameron's deputy Nick Clegg

The Labour leader Ed Miliband speaking at his party's manifesto launch (EPA)

Ed Miliband may have won the BBC’s live election debate on Thursday night – but it seems his decision to gamble on using his final speech to “call out” David Cameron has backfired badly.

Labour made much in the build-up to the broadcast of the Prime Minister’s refusal to attend, saying he was “too scared” to defend his record.

But when he summed up by staring into the camera and demanding Mr Cameron “debate me. One. On. One”, viewers at home accused him of “thinking he’s at Wrestlemania”.

Others suggested the call-out was “like Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather” or “pistols at dawn”.

But Mr Miliband’s attempt to get Mr Cameron to meet him head on doesn’t seem to have worked – after the Prime Minister’s deputy Nick Clegg intervened.

Replying directly to the Labour leader’s challenge when it was repeated on his official Twitter account, Mr Clegg said: “I’ll debate with you Ed Miliband, even if David Cameron won’t. Any time, any place, anywhere.”

The Lib Dems were conspicuously absent from the BBC debate after the BBC blocked Mr Clegg from taking part to make it a panel of “challengers” to the Coalition.

None of the panellists actually mentioned the party during the hour-and-a-half programme either – and judging by the reaction to Mr Clegg’s tweet to Mr Miliband it’s fair to see it was altogether a bad evening for the liberals.

Other highlights from the debate included a clash between Nigel Farage and what he called the “left-wing audience” fielded by the BBC, while the photo that summed up the evening was a hug between the three female leaders – Nicola Sturgeon, Leanne Wood and Natalie Bennett – which left Mr Miliband and the Ukip leader in the cold.