Mishal Hussein: How will I judge the BBC leaders debate with the voters at its heart?

On Wednesday evening, in a debate arena set up in the atrium of Nottingham Trent University, the two men who want to lead the country will face each other head-on for the last time in this election campaign.

As Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer go head-to-head, I will chair the 75-minute debate, aiming to get voters’ questions answered – and as fully as possible.

I see this role as a privilege, but I know it won’t be easy, and there have been times when I wished someone else was at the helm and I could watch from my couch. But those moments pass.

These events rarely happen and have a very special quality – at their heart lies unfiltered democracy, where people can speak directly to those who hold power and those who seek it.

With millions of others watching, listening and judging, it can be an unforgiving spotlight on leaders. But with polling day less than a week away, the stakes are high and they must rise to this scrutiny.

I’ve held two G7 leaders debates before, in 2017 and earlier this month. Each time there are different complexities, and as you prepare by brushing up on your knowledge of each party’s main policies – and their points of difference – you also need spontaneity and energy. Really proper discussion, not a speech.

The live audiences are selected by pollster Savanta, not the BBC, and for this ministerial debate, they will include Conservative and Labor supporters as well as undecided voters.

We’ll say this at the beginning of the programme, for maximum transparency, and we’ll also explain why the two men are standing where they are and the order in which they will deliver their closing thoughts. Spoiler – it’s a coin flip.