Alistair Campbell has said the TV debate format is “pathetic”, and that a reluctant David Cameron should have had “the balls” to pull out.

Campbell, Tony Blair’s former spin doctor, said that the lack of a head-to-head debate between Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband has made for a TV debate format that is “second best”.

“I think it’s pathetic really that we’ve ended up where we are,” he said, speaking to the Guardian at Advertising Week Europe on Monday. “I know the Tories are trying to blame broadcasters but the reason why it’s happened is because Cameron doesn’t want to do them. I guess you could say the format they’ve agreed is kind of second best.”

Campbell, who has previously accused Cameron of attempting to “wriggle and weasel” out of the debates, said that instead of trying to water down and manipulate the format Cameron should have just pulled out.

“The thing is Cameron has not wanted to do it, I’d have much more respect if he’d had the balls to say I’m not going to do it, there’s nothing in this for me so I’m not going to do it,” he said. “Instead of which [the Tories] have gone through this dance to get to this, they feel they have to do something. It’s pathetic.”

Campbell, who was promoting his new book Winners and How They Succeed, also said that the press was starting to influence the focus of the debates.

“The press has definitely reverted to type,” he said. “What you are seeing now is rightwing press sort of dictating terms of debate. You have papers focusing on Ed’s kitchen and bacon sandwiches, trivial stuff that is good for Cameron. If you actually had a head-to-head debate, I think Ed could beat him, and everyone knows that.”

Campbell said the election race is too close to call, but that he would be able to say who would win 10 days into official campaigning, which starts at the end of the month.

On the topic of Jeremy Clarkson, Campbell said that if he left Top Gear, the show would be able to survive.

“Yes it can [survive], but it would be a very different sort of programme,” he said.