General election 2019 results: Ruth Davidson faces 'Gary Lineker' moment over SNP skinny dip quip

Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson faces embarrassment if the election exit poll proves to be accurate, after claiming she would go skinny dipping in Loch Ness if the SNP win 50 seats.

UK broadcasters forecast the SNP may win 55 seats in the election – its second best result ever.

Earlier this week, Ms Davidson mocked SNP claims they could win 50 seats.

She said: “I will happily wager to strip naked on the banks of Loch Ness and subject myself to a Hogmanay wild swimming session should such a result occur, safe in the knowledge that my modesty (and others’ eyeballs) will remain unmolested.”

Ms Davidson added: “The party currently holds 35 seats, while the Scottish Conservatives control 13, Labour has seven and the Lib Dems four.

“To hit the magic 50, the SNP has to pinch 15 seats from three parties with wildly different offerings on Brexit, the permissibility of another independence referendum, the nuclear deterrent, the economy in general and nationalisation in particular.

“In addition to this, the SNP isn’t just targeting gains. It’s also trying to close the door on further losses. In 2017, largely thanks to pro-Union voters adopting tactical voting strategies, Ms Sturgeon lost 21 seats and half a million votes in a single night. A fair share of what’s left are ultra-marginals.”

Former Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson

Ms Davidson has tweeted in the wake of the exit poll: "Tweeting light as in ITV studio. Have spoken to exit poll project members about Scotland methodology. They sampled a high number of voters, but only in certain seats, and then extrapolated those results across the rest."

Ms Davidson stood down as Scottish Tory leader in August, citing Brexit and personal challenges following the birth of her son Finn.

She remains an MSP but has indicated she will not stand for re-election, although she hinted she may one day seek to lead the Conservatives at Westminster.