The BBC will host the final head-to-head general election debate between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, the corporation has confirmed.
The two party leaders will face each other on 26 June in what will be the final televised debate of the campaign.
The debate will be hosted by BBC newsreader Sophie Raworth and take place in Nottingham, airing on BBC One and BBC News on 26 June.
It comes as Mr Sunak and Sir Keir prepare for their first televised leaders’ debate of the election campaign, which will air on ITV on Tuesday, 4 June.
Elsewhere on the BBC, Mishal Husain will host a 7 June debate between leading figures from the Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party (SNP), Plaid Cymru, Green Party and Reform UK.
The Telegraph reports that Labour has said Sir Keir will not be attending the seven-party debate, while Mr Sunak has not yet decided.
Also included in the BBC’s election coverage is a two-hour long Question Time leaders’ special, hosted by Fiona Bruce, on 20 June.
The leaders of the four biggest political parties – the Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and SNP, will answer questions from the studio audience for 30 minutes each.
It is understood that both Mr Sunak and Sir Keir have signed up for the final debate on 26 June, as well as the Question Time special, with the corporation awaiting confirmation of those attending the first debate.
BBC journalist Nick Robinson has invited the leaders of the seven biggest political parties in Britain to be interviewed for Panorama specials, airing over the next four weeks.
Additional dedicated debates will also take place in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Jonathan Munro, deputy chief executive of BBC News, said: “TV debates have become a key part of elections in the UK, giving voters the chance to hear leaders and senior politicians debate policies and ideas directly with each other, which rarely happens on the campaign trail.
“The BBC brings people together. Providing a shared space for people to debate and discuss is a vital part of our mission, so I’m delighted we’re holding this series of debates and election specials, hosted by such talented presenters.”
When are the debates and Question Time special taking place
The seven-handed election debate will be broadcast on the BBC from 7.30pm to 9pm on Friday 7 June.
The Question Time special will be broadcast from 8pm to 10pm on Thursday 20 June.
The prime ministerial debate will air from 9pm to 10pm on Wednesday 26 June 26
All three programmes will air on BBC One, BBC News and will be available on BBC iPlayer.
