Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn shared the spoils in the battle for the public's approval in the first TV election debate - but the overriding public feeling was frustration.
YouGov figures report the public is split nearly 50/50 in deciding who won the ITV head-to-head.
The snap survey of 1,646 viewers suggests the public is about as divided as they were three years ago when the UK voted to leave the EU, with 51% of respondents to a poll by YouGov excluding don't knows saying that Boris Johnson performed best in the ITV debate while 49% say that Jeremy Corbyn was strongest.
Most viewers think both leaders performed well, with two thirds (67%) saying so of Corbyn and almost six in ten saying likewise of Johnson (59%).
READ MORE: Boris Johnson takes on Jeremy Corbyn, review
Nevertheless, the abiding emotion emanating from the audience is one of frustration. With both leaders seen by some as avoiding answers on key questions, fully 58% of viewers chose the word “frustrating” when asked to choose up to three words to describe the debate. The second most common sentiment was that the debate was “interesting” (45%), followed by “engaging” on 35%.
Boris Johnson was ranked more prime ministerial (by 54% to 29%) and more likeable (by 54% to 37%).
The figures, however, found that Jeremy Corbyn was ranked more trustworthy (by 45% to 40%) and more in touch with ordinary people (by 59% to 25%).
The Labour leader was seen as better on the NHS by 54% to 38%.
But it was the Conservative leader that performed best on the question of Brexit, beating Corbyn by 63% to 27%.
YouGov also ran a preliminary survey published earlier in the day that showed the public expected Boris Johnson to perform better by 37% to Jeremy Corbyn's 23%.
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