Florida man wrestles 19ft Burmese python and wins

BBC journalist Ben Thompson alerted viewers to his phobia before the snake appeared on screen.

"I'm not quite sure how I'll tell you this story, because I hate snakes," he said.

Mr Thompson looked away from the camera as he read the news, asking "is it gone yet?" at the end of the report.

The viral video depicted snake hunting duo the Glades Boys encountering the longest Burmese python ever documented.

At almost six metres from nose to tail, the reptile beats out the previous record by more than four centimetres.

The snake hunters discovered the python at around 1am on July 10 in Florida's Big Cypress National Preserve.

In a video that has been liked over 290,000 times on Instagram, Jake Waleri is seen wrestling the giant python as fellow snake hunter Amy Siewe tapes its mouth shut.

Mr Waleri later posted that the snake clocked in at 5.79 metres and 56 kilograms.

"Giant is an understatement for this beast," he said.

"Even just being able to see a snake this large would be a dream."

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The Burmese python is an invasive species in the state as a result of the pet trade. Residents are allowed to capture and humanely kill the reptile, but most don't for obvious reasons.

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida later confirmed the snake's record-breaking status as not only the longest Burmese python, but the longest snake ever found in Florida.