Barcroft's Pictures Of The Year 2016

In Fort Worth, Texas, we met Monica Riley who tips the scales at a whopping 50 stone. The morbidly obese 27-year-old has her sights set on becoming the fattest woman in the world and hit her goal weight of 1000lbs.

Fuelling her on this quest for vastness is her feeder boyfriend, Sid Riley, 25, who spends his days cooking mountainous meals and funnel feeding her. Monica says she won’t stop until she is completely immobile.

Photographer Kei Nomiyama, 37, captured a magical light display of thousands of dancing fireflies on the Japanese island, Shikoku.

The winged beetles produce a 'cold light' from their bodies and can shine bright yellow, green, or red. Originally believed to be used for warning purposes, it is now thought its main purpose is mate selection.

Also in Japan, daredevil urban explorer Keow Wee Loon, 27 shared haunting images of the abandoned Fukushima earthquake exclusion zone.

Since March 2011, four towns have been left completely deserted. Heading into the highly irradiated region with only a gas mask for protection, Keow's eerie photos perfectly depict the panic that followed the disaster and show a place stuck in time.

Looking at Jess’s collection of dummies and sippy cups, you’d be forgiven for thinking the pretty 21-year-old from Florida had a baby of her own to care for. But Jess’s collection of babygrows aren’t for a newborn - they are designed with her 5ft 5in frame in mind.

As an ‘adult baby’, Jess likes to wear nappies, drink from bottles and ‘regress’ back to her infancy. A sexual abuse survivor, Jess says it has helped her make peace with her troubled childhood.

Self-taught special effects make-up artist Ellinor Rosander and talented producer Macs Moser create jaw dropping step-by-step tutorials. The talented team filmed their first video in 2013 where it gained 5,000 views overnight. Now the Ellimacs team boast over 420,000 subscribers and create weekly special effects shows.

In 2016, Barcroft TV also met Michelle and Miriam Carolus who credit their 4ft round posteriors as a result of an eye-watering regime of 2000 squats a day. The aspiring models have used their dazzling derrieres to make a name for themselves and so far earned nearly 250,000 followers on Instagram.

The girls live next-door to each other in Miami, Florida, and work for the same plastic surgeon - but say the only work they’ve had are matching $5000 boob jobs.

Hundreds of feet above sea level scattered amongst the rocky mountains of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, dwell ancient churches that have been carved into the side of jagged rock faces.

Believed to have been built over a thousand years ago, the remote mountains have been a place of worship and study for Orthodox Christians in the region hoping to get closer to God both literally and figuratively.

A team of British adventurers have taken to land and sea to explore the earth’s southernmost continent, Antarctica. Making history as the first Brits believed to have freedived in the area. Will Glendinning, 40, made the treacherous journey with friend Dave Crump and four other crew members.

Freediving involves going underwater without breathing equipment and relies on the diver’s ability to hold their breath for minutes at a time.

With the sun beating down in the harsh climate of Afar, Ethiopia, videographer Joel Santos spent time filming the hardworking salt miners of the region. The vast expanse yields more than 1.3 million tons of salt every year, and stretches across 100,000 square kilometers.

Finally, one of 2016’s most inspirational stories belonged to Marimar Quiroa, who is making a name for herself on YouTube with her make-up tutorials.

Despite being born with a facial tumour that leaves her unable to speak or eat, the 21-year-old, who once hid her face from strangers in the street, now proudly bares her beauty to millions of people who follow her online.