Reality Bytes Daniel Meadows vlogger

Reality Bytes: Australian Story

Monday 25 August at 8pm, ABC1
Tuesday 26 August at 8pm, ABC2
Saturday 30 August at 12.30pm, ABC1

A shy computer geek's American dream becomes a border security nightmare

In the past two years, Daniel Meadows has made nearly 2000 friends - all without leaving the comfort of his bedroom.

Daniel is a "vlogger", someone who posts video blogs on YouTube. His style is quirky, self-effacing and popular. Some vlogs have attracted more than 1.8 million hits.

Plagued by panic attacks and insomnia since he was a small boy, Daniel, now 25, has found fame on the internet.

His biggest fan is Shannon, a beautiful young American girl with whom he's fallen head over heels in love. But unable to sustain their e-romance, Daniel recently sold all his possessions on eBay and bought the cheapest fare he could find to take him to Pittsburgh, where he would at last meet Shannon face to face.

But fate intervened while transiting through Detroit airport. He was detained by the US Department of Homeland Security and deported 24 hours later after a gruelling interrogation.

More than four days after leaving his bedroom, Daniel Meadows was back home, bleary-eyed and disbelieving - and uploading a vlog that's kick-started a frenzy of outraged vlogging and blogging across the world.

Daniel Meadows, vlogger
"I was thinking, 'am I going to get out of here? Would I end up in Guantanamo Bay like David Hicks?'"

Shannon Jones, e-girlfriend
"I told him - I have to see you and if it means I have to fly to Australia, I'm going to do it."

Producer: Kristine Taylor