Seven party leaders will face each other tonight in an eagerly-awaited showdown election debate.
The two-hour battle will be the only broadcast debate featuring David Cameron, after the prime minister refused to sign-up to a proposed series of such events.
SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will also be taking part, alongside Labour’s Ed Miliband, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, Ukip’s Nigel Farage, Green leader Natalie Bennett and Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood.
Ms Bennett will speak first in the opening statements of the debate, being shown on ITV between 8pm and 10pm, while Mr Cameron will speak last.
Each leader will be allowed to give an uninterrupted one-minute answer to each question posed by a studio audience of around 200 people in Salford.
There will be up to 18 minutes of debate on each question with “four substantial election questions” addressed.
Leaders will not see the questions in advance and an “experienced editorial panel” will select them.
The first US-style TV debates were held at a UK election in 2010, when Mr Cameron, Mr Clegg and Gordon Brown faced each other three times.
Mr Miliband spent yesterday preparing for the debate by getting out and talking to voters.
“The way I’m going to prepare for this debate is by coming to talk to good people here and keep campaigning,” he said on a visit to a factory in Huddersfield.
Asked about her husband’s preparations while on her first solo appearance on the campaign trail yesterday, Samantha Cameron said: “He doesn’t seem too nervous, but I have to say I’m very glad it’s him and not me.”
Mr Farage was preparing “rigorously” for the debate, Ukip’s campaign chief said.
DUP leader Peter Robinson said his party, Northern Ireland’s largest with eight MPs in the last Westminster parliament, had been discriminated against after being excluded from the debate.
“We feel that we have been very badly dealt with by the broadcasters,” he said.
A bookmaker said Mr Farage was the favourite to be voted the “best” in the debate, followed by Mr Cameron in second, and Mr Miliband third.
Ms Bennett was favourite to be voted the “worst”, followed by Ms Wood, and then Mr Clegg.