Gordon Brown will attempt to lift himself for the third and final prime ministerial debate after offering a grovelling apology for branding a pensioner "bigoted".
With just a week left until the General Election and polls showing the parties still deadlocked, Labour strategists have been billing this evening's economy-themed clash as an opportunity for the Prime Minister to turn the tide of the campaign.
But thanks to his unguarded comments about Gillian Duffy, overheard on a stray microphone, Mr Brown's personality is again centre stage.
In an email to party activists last night, the PM offered them the same "profound" apology he had made to Mrs Duffy, and promised they would see him in a different "context" in the debate.
"Many of you know me personally," he wrote. "You know I have strengths as well as weaknesses. We all do. You also know that sometimes we say and do things we regret. I profoundly regret what I said."
But the Tories claim the real Gordon Brown had been exposed, while the British National Party sought to capitalise with adverts saying he had demonstrated the "contempt" in which mainstream politicians held ordinary people's views.
The party leaders are due to spend most of today preparing for their showdown in Birmingham later, which is being hosted by the BBC.
David Cameron will tour a hospital and highlight the Conservatives' pledge to create a £200 million cancer drugs fund, paid for with the NHS's savings from the halting of the scheduled hike in National Insurance contributions.
Meanwhile, Nick Clegg is to focus on the Lib Dems' policies to help older people.
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