All that was missing was Simon Cowell telling the three candidates where they had gone wrong.

I was also waiting for Ant and Dec to pop up and tell us: “Who should be Prime Minister? You decide. To vote for Beleaguered Brown, Comeback Cameron or Saint Nick ring the following numbers. Voting ends at midnight but please note if you phone after this time your vote will not be counted but you may still be charged.”

Surely that is where we are heading.

So far the only thing that these American-presidential-style debates have shown is that the people taking part in the polls afterwards much prefer style over substance.

It was X Factor-fashion with the three main men pretty much singing the same tune on most issues or at least that is how it came across. Last week the public seemed to believe that Saint Clegg’s version of this political karaoke was the most in tune.

But just as I did when Jedward progressed through a competition with a similar theme (popularity contest), I was left scratching my head following Saint Nick’s new found fame.

Before these debates a number of surveys showed that a lot of people did not even know who he was. Not the most bright of people sure, but not really the reputation you want if you aim to make it to Number 10.

Now he seems to be the nation’s hot tip for Prime Minister.

That, in a nutshell, is the problem with these debates. It is a party that will be put into power so should we not all know more about their manifestos?

As our readers know, this newspaper has no political motive or persuasion.

Following our coverage of St Albans MP Anne Main’s expenses some online snipers suggested the Review was Lib Dem biased. Not true.

In fact, having read all three manifestos, it is my opinion that Comeback Cameron, or Dave as he likes to be known, has the right idea on big issues such as immigration, the recession, Afghanistan and education.

But that is not coming across. Why? Because these debates are all about the men and not about the issues.

Brown is convinced that the best way for him to appeal to the nation is to play the part of the experienced PM hence his claim that Clegg and Cameron reminded him of his ‘sons squabbling at bathtime’.

Clegg is keen to point out that he is the fresh-faced new kid on the block whilst referring constantly to the ‘old parties’.

Meanwhile Cameron wants to see Clegg and Brown at each others throats so he can point out that a hung parliament (certainly not a ‘balanced’ one as some have suggested) would lead to more squabbling within a Lib-Lab coalition.

But what about the issues? I am not sure because there is no depth in this headline-hungry coverage.

Two minutes is not enough to answer a point. So instead we are left with a personality competition.

Brown can pretend he is not taking part in such a contest but if that is the case Gordon, leave your wife at home when you next hit the streets please.

What we really need is a Question Time debate with David Dimbleby asking questions that matter and prompting a decent response based on the their respective manifestos.

Who knows we might get that next week.

But I fear these debates have set a precedent which will be swallowed up by a talent-contest-hungry nation, happy to make major decisions based on two-minute answers.

The next show is from the midlands on Thursday, just five days and five nights after Britain’s Got Talent. However the difference between the two shows is anything but night and day.