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Joel Samuels is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera ''
Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...
'', played by
Daniel MacPherson Daniel Donald MacPherson (born 25 April 1980) is an Australian actor and television presenter, known for his roles as Joel Samuels in ''Neighbours'', PC Cameron Tait in ''The Bill'', Sergeant Samuel Wyatt in Sky and Cinemax's '' Strike Back'', ...
. MacPherson secured the role after auditioning for casting director
Jan Russ Jan Russ (born 1939) is an Australian casting director, producer and actor of theatre and TV. Russ in best known for best known for her work as a casting director on the TV soap opera ''Neighbours'' from the show's beginning in 1985 to her depa ...
, who suggested that the script producers write the part of Joel for him. He relocated to Melbourne for filming, and made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 13 May 1998. Joel was introduced as a friend of
Malcolm Kennedy Malcolm Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Benjamin McNair. Shortly after he was cast, McNair relocated to Melbourne to be closer to the studio. He admitted that it was a shock lea ...
(
Benjamin McNair Benjamin John McNair (born 25 August 1974, London) is an Australian actor, best known for his role as Malcolm Kennedy in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' which he played from 1994 to 1997 returning briefly in 2002, 2004, 2011 and 2014 with a cameo ap ...
) and comes to
Erinsborough Erinsborough is the fictional suburb where the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' is set. The show focuses on the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the suburb. ''Neighbours'' storylines primarily centre on the ...
to stay with his family. MacPherson decided to leave ''Neighbours'' after four years and his exit scenes aired on 29 January 2002, as Joel leaves to work with a marine explorer. MacPherson reprised the role for the show final episodes, which aired in July 2022.


Creation and casting

''Neighbours'' casting director
Jan Russ Jan Russ (born 1939) is an Australian casting director, producer and actor of theatre and TV. Russ in best known for best known for her work as a casting director on the TV soap opera ''Neighbours'' from the show's beginning in 1985 to her depa ...
auditioned MacPherson; she approached the script producers and suggested they write the role of Joel for him. MacPherson joined the cast in February 1998, when he was seventeen, and he moved from
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
to
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
for filming. He later recalled: "I'm not ashamed to say I bawled my eyes out that night going, 'What the hell am I doing? I've never acted, I've never lived out of home, I've never been to Melbourne, I've never been on a TV set. What the hell am I thinking?'"


Development


Characterisation

Whilst travelling, Joel meets and becomes friends with
Malcolm Kennedy Malcolm Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Benjamin McNair. Shortly after he was cast, McNair relocated to Melbourne to be closer to the studio. He admitted that it was a shock lea ...
(
Benjamin McNair Benjamin John McNair (born 25 August 1974, London) is an Australian actor, best known for his role as Malcolm Kennedy in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' which he played from 1994 to 1997 returning briefly in 2002, 2004, 2011 and 2014 with a cameo ap ...
) and he comes to
Ramsay Street Ramsay Street is the fictional cul-de-sac in which the characters of the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' live. The street is set in the equally fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. ''Neighbours'' storylines primarily centre on the r ...
"out of the blue" to stay with Malcolm's family. Upon his arrival, Joel was described as being "good-looking, down-to-earth, friendly and a champion triathlete." Annette Dasey of ''
Inside Soap ''Inside Soap'' is a weekly magazine published in the United Kingdom, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas in the United Kingdom, including '' Coronation Street'', ''Doctors'', ''EastEnders'', ''Emmerdal ...
'' called Joel a "heart-throb" and said that he appears to be Mr Perfect. However, MacPherson told her that Joel is unlucky in love, saying "A couple of the girls throw themselves at him, but he's so naïve he doesn't really notice." The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
said "Being a fit, young tri-athlete, Joel certainly set a few hearts a flutter among the Ramsay St girls."


Accident

When
Anne Wilkinson Anne Wilkinson (also Hails), is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Brooke Satchwell. She made her first on screen appearance on 19 November 1996. Satchwell quit the role in 1999 and the character depar ...
(
Brooke Satchwell Brooke Kerith Satchwell (born 1980) is an Australian actress, model and environmental spokesperson. Early life Satchwell lived in Teesdale, Victoria, for most of her life and has one sibling. She attended Toorak College. Career Satchwell start ...
) crashes her car into a riverbank, Joel and
Karl Kennedy Karl Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Alan Fletcher. The actor previously appeared in the soap in 1987 as mechanic Greg Cooper. He made his first screen appearance as Karl during the episo ...
( Alan Fletcher) are first on the scene and try to help her. The car slides down the riverbank and Joel becomes trapped underneath the vehicle. A storm causes the water level to rise rapidly and Karl tries to help Joel breathe. Filming for the stunt took three days and McPherson spent most of his time underwater. He said "Luckily, that meant I didn't have too many lines to learn, half the time I had to just sit under the water, hold my breath and wonder if they were still shooting!" Joel is eventually rescued and taken to hospital and McPherson told ''Inside Soap'' that there is a chance that Joel may not be able to walk again due to his injuries. The actor said "That is a tremendous shock. The triathlon is his life." Joel tries to keep his injury from his sponsors, but Karl reveals to them that Joel may not walk again. Joel is "absolutely furious" with Karl and McPherson said "I think in his heart of hearts, Joel knew they would find out eventually, but he hasn't learnt how to deal with the consequences yet." Joel then faces a long recovery process, but he has a "good chance of pulling through."


Relationships

Joel has a brief relationship with Natalie Rigby (
Nicki Paull Nicola Paull (born 1962 Queensland, Australia), is an Australian actress and a registered counsellor. Though predominantly known for her work on television, she has also appeared in films and on stage, as well as performing as a voice-over arti ...
), a woman ten years his senior. Joel meets Natalie after auditioning to be a stripper and she asks him for a date. Natalie reveals that she has a teenage son, but refuses to introduce Joel to him until she is sure their relationship is serious. Joel and Natalie argue and ''
Soaplife ''Soaplife'' was a soap opera magazine published in the United Kingdom by TI Media (formerly IPC Media and Time Inc. UK). The magazine was first published in 1999 and focused on British and Australian soap operas. It was originally published mont ...
'' said Joel feels "belittled" by Natalie's over-protective attitude towards her son. The magazine added "
Emotional baggage Emotional baggage is an everyday expression that correlates with many varied but similar concepts within social sciences, self-help movements, and other fields: its general concern is with unresolved issues of an emotional nature, often with an impl ...
and not the age gap ruined the relationship in the end, as Natalie put her son first." Joel begins a relationship with
Dee Bliss Dione "Dee" Bliss is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Madeleine West. The actress received the role three days after securing an agent. West deferred her law degree studies to take the part. She ma ...
(
Madeleine West Melanie Ann Weston (born 26 July 1980), known professionally as Madeleine West, is an Australian actress. She is known for her television roles, having played Dee Bliss and Andrea Somers on the soap opera ''Neighbours'' from 2000 to 2003 and on- ...
), which progresses steadily. Joel later finds himself "immediately drawn" to Dee's best friend, Carrie Clark (Vanessa Rossini), after Dee introduces him to her. MacPherson explained, "It's quite a complicated situation. He is over the moon about Dione, but I think it's a little more lust than love." Joel tries to keep his feelings about Carrie to himself, but ''Soaplife'' said this is not easy as his eyes "practically pop out of his head every time Carrie's name is mentioned." MacPherson said that Joel does not want to hurt Dee, but inevitably when feelings for someone become strong the truth comes out. West revealed that Dee feels awful after realising that Joel likes another woman, but the situation becomes worse for her as she becomes aware that it is Carrie Joel likes. Of Joel's love triangle storyline, ''Soaplife'' said "After playing the singles game for such a long time, you would think he'd want to focus all his energies on one girl. But it seems one lovely lass is not enough for him!" Joel is delighted when his father, Bernie (
Sean Scully Sean Scully (born 30 June 1945) is an Irish-born American-based artist working as a painter, printmaker, sculptor and photographer. His work is held in museum collections worldwide and he has twice been named a Turner Prize nominee. Moving fro ...
), arrives in town, but he is unaware that Bernie has been flirting with Dee. Of the interesting storyline, MacPherson said "Joel has Bernie up on a pedestal, but it turns out he's the last one to find out what he's really like. Everyone else can see that he has his faults, but nothing they can say or do make Joel realise it. He just thinks his old man is the best." Joel is "quite cut up" when he realises that his father is not the hero he perceives him to be. McPherson said the storyline was good for his character as everyone got to learn more about his background. After their relationship ends, Dee is keen to remain friends with Joel, while Joel finds it awkward and wants them to get back together. Joel eventually moves on with his friend and neighbour
Felicity Scully Felicity "Flick" Scully is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Holly Valance. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 20 October 1999. She departed on 28 November 2002, but m ...
(
Holly Valance Holly Rachel Candy (; born 11 May 1983), known professionally as Holly Valance, is an Australian actress and singer. Valance began her acting career on the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', as Felicity Scully (1999–2002, 2005, 2022). Sh ...
). The official website said that they are "two of the sexiest residents in Ramsay Street" and that it was not surprising they would be getting together. The website said that up until now there has not been any attraction between Joel and Felicity. McPherson said Joel had always been aware of Felicity, but because he was dating Dee he just did not think about her. After Lance Wilkinson (
Andrew Bibby Andrew Bibby (born 24 October 1980 in Sydney) is an Australian former actor who played Lance Wilkinson on the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'' in 1995, 1996–2001, 2005 and in 2022. He returned again briefly in 2018. Early and personal ...
) asks Joel and Felicity to star in his film, they have to kiss in a scene and McPherson said "they do a little more acting than is strictly necessary!" The actor said Joel backs off straight away and pretends it did not happen because Felicity is in high school and is "probably a little too young for him." However, Lance and
Toadfish Rebecchi Jarrod Vincenzo Rebecchi (commonly known as "Toadfish" or "Toadie") is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Ryan Moloney. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 23 January 199 ...
(
Ryan Moloney Ryan Moloney (born 24 November 1979) is an Australian actor, known for his portrayal of the fictional character Jarrod "Toadfish" Rebecchi in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' since 1995. Career Moloney's first acting experience was with ...
) tease Joel about the kiss and Felicity's crush, so he cannot get away from it. Felicity invites Joel to the Erinsborough High debutante ball as her partner and McPherson explained that she is not exactly truthful, saying "Flick asks Joel to be her partner, and says it's because she can't find anyone else to go with. But she's actually already asked Paul, and as you can imagine, it leads to a bit of strife!"


Departure

After four years of playing Joel, MacPherson decided to leave ''Neighbours''. He told ''Inside Soaps
Jason Herbison Jason Herbison (born 1972) is an Australian television producer, screenwriter and novelist, most recently serving as the executive producer of the soap opera ''Neighbours''. He has written scripts for numerous television serials, and has publis ...
: "I've learned a lot, worked with some amazing people, and got to travel. It really was the best possible way for me to break into the industry, and even though it's time for me to move on, I'll always be grateful for it." MacPherson admitted that his final week on set was sad, especially when he filmed his last scenes at Number 30. He also called his final day "weird" because he only had to film one scene early in the morning. MacPherson relocated to the United Kingdom to appear in a pantomime, followed by an appearance in a production of ''
Godspell ''Godspell'' is a musical composed by Stephen Schwartz with book by John-Michael Tebelak. The show is structured as a series of parables, primarily based on the Gospel of Matthew, interspersed with music mostly set to lyrics from traditional hymn ...
''. MacPherson's last scenes aired in January 2002. The following year, MacPherson admitted that he occasionally watched the serial "just to see what everyone's doing." He also said that he would like to go back for a few days or weeks to see everyone. On-screen, Joel reunites with Dee and is offered the chance to travel the world, after securing a job working with marine explorer
Vernon Wells Vernon Michael Wells III (born December 8, 1978) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the New York Yankees. Wells ...
(
Vincent Gil Vincent Gil (1939 – 21 August 2022), also credited as Vince Gil, was an Australian film and television actor best known for his portrayal of the character ''Nightrider'' in the 1979 film ''Mad Max'', and ''Stone''. Gil had also starred in m ...
). Dee later agrees to accompany Joel on his trip, after he convinces her that it is a good opportunity. MacPherson explained "They've come though a lot together, and recently Dee confided in Joel about her miscarriage. So they've reached a new level in their relationship, and Joel thinks that going away together will be a fresh start." However, their plans are thrown into doubt when Joel loses his temper with Dee's former boyfriend
Darcy Tyler Darcy Tyler is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Mark Raffety. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 15 November 2000. The following year, Raffety became a series regula ...
(
Mark Raffety Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fi ...
), who makes it clear that he thinks Dee going away with Joel is a mistake. Joel then accidentally reveals that Dee had a miscarriage and that the baby was Darcy's. MacPherson told Herbison that Dee sees what Joel has done as a "betrayal" and as he struggles to defend himself, it is too late for their relationship. He continued, "Dee can't see that they have much of a future together if she can't trust him. Of course, this means she won't be going away with him anymore." The Ramsay Street residents throw a farewell party for the pair, unaware that Dee has changed her mind and she does not say anything. MacPherson commented that it was "a weird send-off". Joel tells Dee that she knows what time the boat is leaving if she changes her mind, and he goes to the wharf to meet Vernon. Shortly before he is due to depart, Dee turns up to say goodbye. Joel then leaves Erinsborough alone.


Return

In May 2022, it was announced MacPherson would be reprising his role for the show's final episodes. Of his return, the actor stated "Joining ''Neighbours'' at age 17, little did I know, was going to kick start a career that continues to be the adventure of a lifetime. To go back and play Joel one more time, was a small way to show my enormous gratitude to cast, crew and fans of the show."


Storylines

Joel meets Malcolm Kennedy in London and the two quickly become friends. Malcolm tells Joel that he will always be welcome in Erinsborough, where his parents live. Not long after, Joel turns up at the Kennedy's house in Ramsay Street and introduces himself to Malcolm's mother Susan and younger brother, Billy (
Jesse Spencer Jesse Gordon Spencer (born 12 February 1979) is an Australian actor and musician. He is best known for his roles as Billy Kennedy on the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' (1994–2000, 2005, 2022), Robert Chase on the American medical drama ...
). Karl, Malcolm's father has reservations about Joel staying as the Kennedys hardly know him but relents. Joel later settles in and makes friends and catches the eye of
Hannah Martin Hannah Martin is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Rebecca Ritters. She made her first on-screen appearance on 20 July 1992. Hannah is the only child of Philip and Julie Martin and the younger sist ...
(
Rebecca Ritters Rebecca Ritters (born 26 January 1984) is an Australian journalist and current news anchor for Deutsche Welle. Prior to her journalism career, she was an actress. Career She is also known as an actress, mostly for her role as Hannah Martin ...
), who has a crush on him and goes through the effort of buying a takeaway meal and passing it off as her own in order to impress him. Hannah is crushed when Joel tells her he only likes her as a friend. Joel later gets a job at Across the Line, a local sports store and later falls for Libby (
Kym Valentine Kym Valentine (born 24 May 1977) is an Australian actress best known for her long running intermittent portrayal of Libby Kennedy in the soap opera ''Neighbours.'' Early life Valentine was born in Blacktown, Sydney, and grew up in Granville. ...
), Malcolm's sister. Joel is too scared to tell her his feelings but she eventually figures it out and the pair remain friends. After a number of problems at the Kennedys', including the breakdown of Karl and Susan's marriage, Joel moves in next door to Number 30 with
Sarah Beaumont Sarah Beaumont (also Hannay) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Nicola Charles. Shortly after Charles moved to Australia, she was encouraged to try out for a part in the serial by a drama coach. The ...
(
Nicola Charles Nicola Charles is a British- Australian author and actress, known for her role as Sarah Beaumont in Australian soap opera '' Neighbours''. Career Charles trained as an actress and dancer in the UK and started her career in British televisio ...
) and Toadfish Rebecchi. Toadie later introduces Joel to his co-host, Sally Upton (Sally Davis) at Uni FM, the radio station at Eden Hills University. Joel and Sally begin dating but things fall apart after Sally becomes jealous of Joel's closeness with Libby and accuses him of cheating. When Joel decides to join the Ramsay Street teenagers at a campsite to celebrate the end of Year 12 and exams, Karl offers him a lift. When they drive by a river bank, they find Anne Wilkinson sitting in a bogged down ute by the riverbank crying. Joel and Karl stop to help and begin to push the vehicle from the front, but the vehicle slips down the bank and traps Joel's knee. As the water level rises due to drains bursting and a heavy downpour of rain, Karl battles to keep Joel breathing during the rise. Joel loses consciousness and Anne raises the alarm. After being airlifted to Erinsborough Hospital, Joel wakes up and Sally visits him. Joel thinks she wants to get back together, but she tells him of her attraction to his friend,
Drew Kirk Andrew "Drew" Kirk is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Dan Paris. Following his decision to move into acting, Paris won the role of Drew after attending his first ever audition. He admitted that he i ...
(
Dan Paris Daniel Paris (born 15 June 1973) is an Australian actor and photographer. He is best known for playing the role of Drew Kirk in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours''. Personal life Paris was born in Perth, Western Australia and was raised ...
). Sally leaves and Joel finds it hard to be positive. Joel's mother, Brenda Samuels (Pixie Jones) visits but she has a hard time getting close to her son as he has made so many friends in the community. Joel is later discharged from hospital and moves back in with the Kennedys temporarily, as Toadie and Sarah are finding his mood swings difficult to live with. When Joel recovers, he takes part in a routine based on the movie ''
The Full Monty ''The Full Monty'' is a 1997 British comedy film directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber and Hugo Speer. The screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy. The film is s ...
'' along with Bill, Karl, Drew and Toadie. Joel later meets Natalie Rigby, the manager of a pub when he auditions as a solo stripper and they begin dating, but are opposed by Natalie's son,
Liam Liam is a short form of the Irish name Uilliam or the old Germanic name William. Etymology The original name was a merging of two Old German elements: ''willa'' ("will" or "resolution"); and ''helma'' ("helmet"). The juxtaposition of these elem ...
(
Damien Bodie Damien Bodie (born 2 January 1985) is an Australian television actor from Melbourne. Bodie began his career securing roles in children's television roles such as his three-year stint as Ram Foley in ''Crash Zone''. He later secured the regular rol ...
) and the relationships fizzle out. After a while of being single, Joel and Toadie decide to go out one evening to Foxy's in February 2000, a local nightclub and meet Dione Bliss and her friend,
Vanessa Bradshaw ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera. It was created by Reg Watson and first broadcast on 18 March 1985. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the soap in 2000, by order of first appearance. All characters ...
(Julieanne Tait) on under the pretence of Joel being an Argentine Footballer and Toadie being a lawyer (a partial truth as Toadie is studying law). The girls ultimately see through this but play along and during one date leave the boys stranded at Italian restaurant, Lanzini's when the time comes to pay the bill. Dione later reappears and Joel falls for her but cheats on her with her friend, Carrie Clark. Joel is dumped and goes out of his way to win Dione back. They get back together but their reunion is fraught with jealousy problems and things are not made easier when Joel's father, Bernie arrives and tries to make advances towards Dione every chance he gets. Dione tells Joel who disbelieves her at first but then he comes to realize Dione is telling the truth about Bernie and soon sends his father packing. Joel and Dione begin playing jokes on each other, but Joel ultimately takes it too far when he enlists Malcolm's help by pretending to be a distant relative of Joel's interested in Dione's art. This proves too much and Joel and Dione split once again. After helping Lance Wilkinson film a home-made Sci-Fi movie, where he and Felicity Scully are the leads who share a kiss, Joel agrees to be Flick's date to Erinsborough High's debutante ball. As the ball nears, Joel finds himself falling for Flick. At the after party Joel and Flick spend all night talking and they share a kiss the next morning by the pool. Joel and Flick try to keep their relationship a secret but gradually their neighbours and friends find out. Flick's father,
Joe Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage * ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971 * ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...
(
Shane Connor Shane Connor (born 3 April 1959) also billed/credited as Shane Feeney-Connor, is an Australian actor, who has had extensive experience in stage, television and film productions, both locally and internationally in the United Kingdom and United St ...
) catches the couple together one evening and angrily confronts Joel and pushes him, injuring his shoulder. Flick refuses to return home after this and stays with Joel. When Flick opts to move out after Joe comes down hard on her, she suggests that she moves in with Joel. Joel realises things are moving too seriously and decides to join the Kennedys on a trip to London to attend Malcolm's wedding to Sarah's sister, Catherine O'Brien (
Radha Mitchell Radha Rani Amber Indigo Ananda Mitchell is an Australian actress. She started her career with various appearances on Australian television, including a regular role as Catherine O'Brien in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' (1996–97). Mitchell la ...
). When Joel returns, problems still have not eased and things don't get any easier when Flick moves in temporarily much to the annoyance of Toadie and Dee. After an argument with Flick on her 18th birthday about spending so much time with Dee, Joel breaks up with her and is chastized by Dee and Joe for doing so on Flick's birthday of all days. Flick later begs Joel to take her back but he tells her they are not right for each other. Joel and Dee become close again and begin dating. This is nearly wrecked when Joel accidentally tells Dee's former boyfriend, Darcy Tyler that she miscarried his baby. Dee is furious but forgives Joel. Joel begins diving with marine biologist Vernon Wells, who soon offers him a job in
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
. Dee agrees to go with him but on the day Joel leaves, she changes her mind and they share one final kiss at the docks and Joel walks away and sets off on his journey. Twenty years later, Toadie finds a present on his dining table that contains an empty pizza box and some dead flower clippings, and he immediately calls out for Joel to make himself present. Joel runs into the room and hugs Toadie, then meets Toadie's fiancée,
Melanie Pearson Melanie Pearson (also Mangel) is a fictional character from Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'' played by Lucinda Cowden. The actress was initially signed to the soap on a recurring basis for a few weeks. She made her first screen appearance d ...
(
Lucinda Cowden Lucinda Cowden (born 24 April 1965) is an Australian actress. Cowden was born in Ballarat, Victoria. She played Melanie Pearson in the soap opera '' Neighbours'' from 1987 until 1991, with a cameo appearance in the 20th anniversary documentar ...
). Joel gives Toadie and Melanie an update on his life and explains that he is working and has two children, but is divorced. Joel also apologises to them for not being able to make it to their wedding. Having learned about their old friend
Amy Greenwood Amy Greenwood is a fictional character from the Australian soap ''Neighbours'', played by Jacinta Stapleton. She made her first on-screen appearance on 10 July 1997. Amy is characterised as flirtatious and ditzy, especially interested in fashion ...
's (
Jacinta Stapleton Jacinta Patrice Stapleton (born 6 June 1979) is an Australian actress. Known for her role as Amy Greenwood in the Australian television soap opera ''Neighbours'' from 1997 to 2000 and again from 2020 to 2022. Her most notable role was playing ...
) declaration of love to Toadie, Joel tracks her down in
Cairns Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...
and helps her realise that she is mistaken, prompting her to return for Toadie's wedding. Despite having believed himself unable to attend the wedding, Joel briefly appears at the reception on Ramsay Street.


Reception

Upon Joel's arrival, Robin Oliver of ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
'' said "We sent them Jason and Kylie and now the Poms have sent us Daniel Macpherson, who plays newcomer Joel Samuels and has survived the first week of coaching at the pool. Just what Erinsborough needs, a Pom to teach Aussies how to swim. But no doubt it'll give the UK ratings a lift. Joel was told by best pal Mal Kennedy to stay at his parents' place, but Mal forgot to tell anybody, so the week has been spent clearing that up. Stretch things thin, don't they?" In 1999, MacPherson received a
Logie Award The Logie Awards (officially the TV Week Logie Awards; colloquially known as The Logies) is an annual gathering to celebrate Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The first ceremony was held in 1959 as the ...
for "Most Popular Male Talent" for his portrayal of Joel. In 2001, MacPherson was nominated for "Most Popular Actor". The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
said Joel's most notable moment was "Almost dying while being pinned under a ute in a river." Viewers voted Joel's rescue from beneath the car in the river the "Best storyline of 1999" in the Neighbours.com Awards. ''Inside Soap'' called the storyline one of the show's "most dramatic moments." In 2010, Joel was included in a ''
TV Week ''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news. Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, particu ...
'' poll to find the Top twenty-five ''Neighbours'' characters. The character was popular in terms of his appearance. Nick Levine of media and entertainment website
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
included MacPherson in a picture feature on male soap stars. Holy Soap called Joel a "beefcake." Lorna Cooper of
MSN MSN (meaning Microsoft Network) is a web portal and related collection of Internet services and apps for Windows and mobile devices, provided by Microsoft and launched on August 24, 1995, alongside the release of Windows 95. The Microsoft Net ...
also commented on Joel's "Hunky" appearance, saying "In effect, he was ''Neighbours major piece of totty. Joel's sporty prowess was put to good use on the show; I've lost count of the number of times his toned physique was on display."


References


External links


Joel Samuels
at
BBC Online BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and BBC Sport, Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, t ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Samuels, Joel Neighbours characters Television characters introduced in 1998 Male characters in television Fictional shopkeepers Fictional male sportspeople