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Theresa May was caught off guard during a Facebook Q&A session when ‘Jeremy from Islington’ sent in a question.

Of course, it was Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn , who wrote in to challenge the chicken Tory leader to debate him head to head.

Mrs May was answering questions from the public during an online session - after she refused to take part in ITV’s leaders debate to be held on Thursday.

Mr Corbyn wrote: “Hi Theresa May, as Prime Minister you have served your elite friends by giving them tax cuts while wages have stagnated, house-building is at its lowest since the 1920s, there are 20,000 fewer police on our streets since 2010 and the NHS is in crisis.

“Do you not think the British people deserve to see us debate, live and on TV?

But Mrs May dismissed the idea of politicians going head to head.

(Image: PA)

She said: “I think what is more important is I and he take questions [from the public].

“I don’t think people get much out of seeing politicians have a go at each other.”

Arount 14,000 people were watching the interview, hosted by ITV News and broadcast on Facebook, at its peak.

Mrs May has previously rationalised her decision to duck out of head-to-head debates by claiming she debates Jeremy Corbyn every week at Prime Minister's Questions.

Viewing figures for PMQs vs Online Q&As and TV debates BBC/Facebook

By contrast, the seven-way debate ahead of the 2015 general election drew an audience of 7.4 million people.