A deaf adventurer has returned from an action-packed five-month global backpacking trip.

During the trip, Julian Peedle-Calloo got engaged to girlfriend Diana Martin, 22, who visited him for a month in Thailand, met Hollywood star Brad Pitt and went sky-diving, bungee jumping, surfing and white-water rafting.

He travelled in America, Australasia and the Far East, including remote parts of Vietnam, Laos and China, accompanied by two friends from Wolverhampton University, Fiona Ng, 22, who is also deaf, and Robert Skinner, 22.

Julian, of Sandy Lane, Cholsey, was stranded for several hours on the Vietnam-China frontier as Chinese border guards demanded a £200 bribe to let him in.

"I pretended I didn't have any money and they eventually let me through," he said, speaking in sign language interpreted by his mother, Angela Peedle.

"We had a fantastic trip. I would recommend other deaf people do this. It shows you can do it, no problem."

Julian Peedle-Calloo

The holiday was paid for by Julian's father, who died of a heart attack last September, shortly before Julian left.

Julian said: "I wasn't sure whether to go travelling after my father died. But then I decided to go so he would be proud."

He brought back video films of his adventure which were screened over 12 weeks on Channel 4's Saturday morning programme for deaf people, Vee-TV.

Julian now plans to apply to both the BBC and Channel 4 and is confident his international video experience will boost his chances.

"I want to work in either editing or presenting," he said.

He has already turned down one job offer from the BBC three years ago to take a degree in electronic media at Wolverhampton. He graduated with a 2:1 last October.