THIS entire general election campaign has felt strange for me, being a short one and taking place three years before it was originally scheduled.

Although I had earlier this year been one of the few that predicted Theresa May would call this election, the last minute nature and changing her mind still did surprise me.

With this campaign there is something I feel we have really missed - the absence of a proper television debate.

Yes there was a so-called leaders debate held earlier this month, but you would have been forgiven for completely missing it as the two people who have a chance of being the Prime Minister after June 8, never appeared.

And on Monday we had a ‘Corbyn v May’ programme with them taking questions from the audience and interviewed by Jeremy Paxman - but at no point were they both on stage at the same time.

It has been debated who was damaged the most by the decision not to do a proper debate, but Mrs May probably edges it as she ruled out being involved from the start, and then rejected Mr Corbyn’s offer of a one-on-one debate.

I’m sure behind the scenes there will be those on both Conservative and Labour’s campaign teams happy with the way it has played out.

But I believe live television debates are essential.

A little history - after the JFK and Nixon American debate was viewed by 70 million people in 1960, countries around the world saw the importance of them and began to hold their own.

In many places, they are now taken for granted.

After the UK held the first leaders debate in 2010 I assumed it would become routine here too, so it is a massive step back to not have one this time around.

People ask why are they essential?

Survey’s have found they influence and help those who have not yet decided who to vote for.

And of course that scrutiny of party manifestos, costings involved with policies, and the leader’s ability to lead, all being debated between the Prime Minister and challengers are all what a campaign is supposed to be about.

Viewers have been robbed of that opportunity, and we are left unclear if we will ever have a proper debate again.