How have they prepared?

Preparing a candidate for a major TV debate is about 80%

hard work, with the remainder a mixture of good luck and
plain guesswork. Ahead of the debates, the former Labour
spinner Theo Bertram tweeted his reminiscences of grooming
Gordon Brown for the 2010 version, calling it “PMQs on
steroids”, with the team trying to anticipate every potential
avenue.
Neither side has commented publicly on their preparation.
Johnson is reportedly working with Brett O’Donnell, a US
Republican strategist who helped him before the 2016 Brexit
referendum, with Michael Gove taking the place of Corbyn in
mock debates.
Corbyn is reported to have eschewed any outside help, and is
preparing with the same core team of leader’s office advisers
he uses for prime minister’s questions.
Who will declare victory?
Aides from all parties – including those not taking part – are
likely to be in the backstage “spin room” to give reaction and
try to convince journalists that their candidate won. But
increasingly the real post-debate analysis is played out on
social media. Candidates will be desperate to avoid giving an
answer that their opponents can clip into a negative viral
video, which could reach a larger audience than the original
broadcast – and seeking to crowbar in their own preferred 15-
second zingers for the same purpose.
Best outcome
Johnson: A bore-fest. Genuinely. The PM’s advisers are
aware that as the incumbent and the leader in the polls, he has
much more to lose. While some enormous perceived own-goal
for Corbyn would, of course, thrill the Conservatives, the main
aim is to escape without any damage and stress key messages
on Brexit and an end to austerity.
Corbyn: The Labour leader would love the questions to skirt
briefly over Brexit and be dominated by voters furious at run-
down public services and crumbling schools and hospitals. In
an ideal world, Johnson would come across as deeply out of
touch, or glib, and unable to defend his character.
Worst outcome
Johnson: Repeated questions about his personality, tangled
personal life or his decidedly unimpressive record as foreign
secretary. The Conservatives have, to an extent, shielded the
PM from intense scrutiny so far in the election, but this will
now end.
Corbyn: The Labour leader is arguably struggling to spark
Labour’s campaign in quite the way he did in 2017, and a
notably flat or edgy performance, especially one plagued by
questions over antisemitism and infighting in Labour could
spell trouble. Labour are not currently picking up the extra
support they need, and this is a key opportunity to change
this.
Most likely outcome
A score draw. The narrative of British election debates is
arguably over-reliant on the 2010 examples, where Nick Clegg
helped the Lib Dems rise in the polls. However, since then
they have generally been underwhelming, featuring highly
drilled candidates repeating the same catchphrases to general
indifference from the watching public. This time could be
different, but the odds are against.
Catchphrase bingo
A drink is not mandatory on each repetition, but could be
helpful.
Get Brexit done.
Dither and delay.
Coalition of chaos.
Propped up by billionaires.
Many, not the few.
Forty new hospitals.
British Broadband.