Time will tell if the Sky News/Channel 4 TV debate featuring Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn has any impact on the election result, but on social media it was quite clear that May’s performance sparked the most interest – but not necessarily in a good way.

The programme saw the leaders of the Conservative and Labour parties quizzed by Jeremy Paxman and a studio audience and, within moments of it finishing, the hashtag #TheresaMayGIFs had started trending.

People used GIFs to characterise May’s performance as hopeless and self-damaging.

How Theresa May expected it to go vs how it actually went.#TheresaMayGIFs pic.twitter.com/uRukcKnhe6 — Stuart Brown (@StuartLeeBrown) May 29, 2017

As with many political hashtags, well-known and loved images were used in the new context, just by placing them next to the hashtag, with nothing more needing to be said.

Some went the extra mile to make a specific point about May’s performance.

GIFs that looped perfectly were used to highlight how May seemed to crash from one bad answer to the next during the 45 minutes she featured on the show.

Other users picked video clips to echo their shock and disbelief at the way they felt she had come across.

Some of the GIFs tapped into the perception that May has been hidden away on the campaign trail because she does not come across well when meeting “ordinary people”.

@OwenJones84 @theresa_may Theresa May when she comes within 5 miles of a real question on her uncosted manifesto #TheresaMayGIFs pic.twitter.com/2fERL1yHGp — Ashley Borges (@aborgestweets) May 29, 2017

More than one person used the hashtag to allude to a clip from the TV audience that had already been widely circulated on social media.

Hahaha that man mouthing bollocks at May speaking on the #NHS. 👌👌 #BattleForNumber10 pic.twitter.com/7W4VgxSGWV — HannahJane Parkinson (@ladyhaja) May 29, 2017

Others expressed some empathy for the social media managers and Conservative spin doctors who were no doubt watching the hashtag catch fire.

The mood at Conservative HQ tonight #TheresaMayGifs pic.twitter.com/jkQ5BmTHWY — Jane Waring (@warijan) May 29, 2017

It all added up to some late-night Twitter amusement and a good night on social media for Corbyn supporters.

But, then again, there’s always someone there to remind you that jokes on social media do not necessarily win votes.

For all the recent wobbling, TM has simple lines on Brexit that resonate with a big swathe of voters & she knows it. #easilyoverlooked — John Harris (@johnharris1969) May 29, 2017

Or do they?