Joe Mangel is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Mark Little.

Joe's storylines included his bad relationship with his mother, being widowed, life as a single parent and a custody battle to keep his child.

He took up the offer to play Joe Mangel, after being blacklisted from various work opportunities due to his strong ties to the union and the "overtly political nature" of his solo theatre shows.

[2] Joe has been described as an "unreconstructed oaf who likes drinking beer", he is green fingered and loves gardening and also acts brutish.

He would often clash with his niece Jane Harris (Annie Jones) who also hated Joe's love for loud music, football and beer drinking.

[2] Through his relationship with Kerry Bishop (Linda Hartley-Clark), Joe was portrayed as being the complete opposite of her, he remained acting out his blunt and sometimes selfish ways, however, he truly loved her.

[3] In an interview with the newspaper Derby Telegraph, Little described his persona and links to the British public stating: "He was a single dad, struggling to get along, a bit of a battler.

"[5] Following Kerry's death, writers planned a storyline exploring the parental rights over Joe's step-daughter, Sky Mangel (Miranda Fryer).

"[1] In 2005, Little agreed to reprise his role as Joe in a four-month guest capacity, as part of Neighbours' twentieth anniversary celebrations.

The "most memorable characters" from each decade were chosen to return and executive producer Jason Herbison explained that it ensured there was "something for everyone as Neighbours draws to a close.

[12] Joe's former father-in-law Harold Bishop (Ian Smith) contacts him via a video call to ask about his relationship with Melanie, who is now engaged to Toadfish Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney).

Kerry does not really want to get seriously involved but Joe's quick thinking, when her daughter Sky is bitten by a redback spider while on a picnic, manages to sway her feelings.

Toby makes a hard choice and decides to go and live with his mother up north and shares a tearful goodbye with Joe and Kerry.

Tragedy strikes later that year when Kerry is shot by a stray bullet while protesting against duck hunters; she is rushed to hospital, but she dies in theatre and also loses the baby she is carrying.

Joe makes a desperate attempt to hang on to his daughter and grabs her while Eric and his wife are not looking and heads off into the Bush with her and Toby and hide out at Mary Crombie's (Alethea McGrath) farm.

Eric eventually hands Sky back to Joe when he admitted cannot cope with her as well as a new baby he and his wife, Sandy (Donna Woodhouse) are due to have and soon will be moving to New Zealand.

On hearing the news that Nell had had another heart attack, Joe realizes that he and Melanie will have to sell the house to afford the medical bills.

Joe proves to be a great support to Harold and Sky after David (Kevin Harrington), Liljana (Marcella Russo) and Serena (Lara Sacher) die in a plane crash above Bass Strait.

4 years later, Joe speaks to Harold on a video call and explains that Melanie, who is marrying Toadie, was a good step mum to Sky and Toby.

[5] In 2010 to celebrate Neighbours' 25th anniversary Sky, a British satellite broadcasting company included Joe in their feature on the 25 characters who they believed were the most memorable in the series history.

[16] They described him as the series' first "easygoing Aussie" to be featured, stating: "For an Australian soap, Neighbours has surprisingly few blokey blokes.

That provided a useful breath of fresh air to all the grown-ups who've tried to make him behave himself over the years, including nan Mrs Mangel, guardian of his son Dorothy, and father-in-law Harold.

[17] Each of the Daily Mirror's columnists were asked to choose their favourite soap opera character, Polly Hudson chose Joe.

[18] Orange UK agree with Joe's loveable larrikin status adding it was his style and state he is famous for his relationship with Bouncer, referring to it as touching.

[19] Sue Heath from The Northern Echo said that commented on his return, opining that he "waltzed back into Erinsborough with a cheery 'Good day, chuck' as though he'd never been away"[20] Joe was placed at number thirty-three on the Huffpost's "35 greatest Neighbours characters of all time" feature.

[21] Journalist Adam Beresford described him as a "true blue Aussie bloke" who was the "polar opposite of his uptight estranged mother".

[21] A Herald Sun reporter included Joe and Kerry's wedding in their "Neighbours' 30 most memorable moments" feature and assessed that they were "were polar opposites but they were married in the butterfly enclosure at Melbourne Zoo.