Joel Dexter is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks. The character made his debut during the episode broadcast on 22 November 2011, portrayed by Andrew Still. Still was attending the Scottish Youth Theatre when Lime Pictures presented the establishment with a casting opportunity for Hollyoaks. The actor secured two auditions for the role and after the second audition he was offered the part. Joel has been characterised through themes of violence. He is on probation for assault, and he loses his temper with various characters. Despite this, Joel does not like domestic violence because his stepfather hit his mother. His dislike of such violence played a role in his early storylines. He was written out of the series in 2012 and departed on 9 January 2013. On 18 August 2016, it was confirmed that Joel would be returning to Hollyoaks with the role recast to Rory Douglas-Speed; he returned on 8 September 2016. Joel then made an unannounced departure on 21 May 2025. On 9 September 2025, it was announced that Rory Douglas-Speed had reprised his role as Joel for a guest stint. His return scenes are set to air in the coming weeks. Joel's return scenes aired on 17 September 2025.
Joel was originally introduced as a "mysterious newcomer" who is hiding a secret, with it being revealed that he is the long-lost son of established character Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas). Lomas had already announced his intention to leave the series and Joel played a role in Warren's departure storyline. Still has stated that when his character first arrived on-screen, he was "quite floaty" with nowhere to live. Joel was later given further connections to characters within the show, such as Brendan Brady (Emmett J. Scanlan), who gives him a "criminal education", and Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter), who he begins a relationship with. In May 2012, Joel was involved in a stabbing storyline. Still has spoken of his efforts to make the scenes in which Joel is stabbed as realistic as possible, as he felt that many people were victims of stabbing at the time. Upon the character returning to the show in 2016, his storylines haveincluded reuniting with his father, training to become a priest, being targeted by Sienna Blake (Anna Passey) as part of her revenge for her daughter's presumed death, being revealed as responsible for his aunt Katy Fox's (Hannah Tointon) death from a drug overdose and his relationship and later abandoned engagement to Cleo McQueen (Nadine Mulkerrin). Joel later started a relationship with Cleo's second-cousin, Goldie McQueen (Chelsee Healey).
Still's portrayal of Joel has earned him a "Best Newcomer" award. Anthony D. Langford from AfterElton opined that Joel was a "scrawny teenage boy" and that his storyline with Brendan was "quite laughable". While a Heat reporter said that Joel is a "smug" character. But a columnist from TV Choice said that Joel's stabbing was a "shockingly violent turn", and Laura Morgan from All About Soap branded the scenes "gruesome and dramatic".
Casting Andrew Still was cast into the programme after Lime Pictures, who produce the serial, presented the Scottish Youth Theatre with a casting opportunity. Although Still did not have any previous television acting experience, he impressed the casting department. Still had two auditions for the role and was offered the role on his way home from his second audition. Still revealed that when he was cast, he had to remain secretive for a period of two months. Still also said that the cast were "fantastic". Before his character debuted on-screen, Still revealed that he hoped to his character would remain in the series and become one of Hollyoaks "staple characters".
Development
Characterisation
A writer from the official Hollyoaks website described Joel as a "whole lot of exciting things rolled into one". They said that he "immediately caused a stir" upon his arrival and that when he is not trying to outsmart Brendan Brady (Emmett J. Scanlan) he is "happy to cause trouble elsewhere". Joel is nicknamed "Scottish Foxy" which was coined by Brendan and Still himself loved the name. Joel is often seen sporting a leather jacket. Still told a reporter from the serial's official website that "I hate that leather jacket, I wear it every day, I hate it and it squeaks so much". He explained that it was a vintage item but since it had since been "beaten up" from various characters always pushing Joel "up against walls". He said that his ideal scene to represent Joel in the opening titles would be him "ironing his leather jacket, the inside of it, making it all nice for his day". Still has said that Joel began "quite floaty as a character" because he had no fixed home. He is searching for a missing connection and he "doesn't really have a focus in his life". The actor concluded that "he's got a tough outer shell, but inside he's quite vulnerable."
Introduction He was initially described as a "mysterious newcomer" who would change the life of an established character "forever". Joel arrives to work as a dubstep DJ at Chez Chez at the same time Brendan disappears from the village. He is also planned to become part of a storyline in which fellow character Maddie Morrison (Scarlett Bowman) becomes attracted to him. However, Joel is uninterested as there is "only one person on his mind". On 15 November 2011, Digital Spy's Kilkelly reported that Maddie would attempt to use Joel by flirting to make Callum Kane (Laurie Duncan) jealous. Joel is not impressed and is "quite mean" to Maddie, Still told Kilkelly that Joel's outburst of anger was not a "one-off" because he does have a "quick temper". But Joel does have "conscience" and in one episode he was "ranting and raving" and the next he was "apologising straight away".
It was later announced that Joel's reason for coming to the village is Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas), who he believes to be his father. Sill stated that Joel is a great character because he is characterised as a "mysterious bad boy" who arrives "not really having any direction and is looking for his father". Joel doesn't have much in his life and he is searching for something that is missing. Warren is not impressed by Joel's arrival because he is "paranoid that Brendan sent Joel in to play with his mind". While Joel is essentially a "troublemaker" he has a "vulnerability because of what has happened in the past". Joel leaves for a while, but his return causes trouble and drama with "certain characters in around Chez Chez, perhaps with one Brendan Brady, they'll be clashing". Lomas told a writer from TVTimes that his character thinks that "this kid could be anybody's - he could be making it up or he could be after money". Joel shows Warren a picture of him and his mother, but feels that the evidence is insufficient.
In December 2011, series producer Emma Smithwick said that she thought Joel was "great and so dynamic" and that she was enjoying his on-screen presence. She added that he would "be involved heavily" in Warren's exit storyline. Warren and Brendan's feud culminates in Brendan and Mitzeee (Rachel Shenton) plotting to rid of Warren. Scanlan told a reporter from What's on TV that his character uses Joel "as a pawn" by "befriending the kid and winning his trust". He added that there is no proof that Joel is Warren's son, but that did not matter because he is "as he's still a way for Brendan to get to Warren".
Still thought it was "fantastic" to be given the opportunity to be involved with Warren's departure storyline. In the lead up to his on-screen father's exit, Joel accompanies him on a holiday in Paris. Still explained that upon their return, it is evident that they have are closer. He thought it was "interesting" because Warren did not want Joel to go with him, but it conjured up a "connection" between the father and son. But Brendan's scheming soon takes hold. Still told Kilkelly that when Joel first arrived "he wasn't getting any answers at all", so he chose to befriend Brendan in attempt to discover more about Warren. As he Joel and Warren have made a "connection", Still stated that "Brendan has kind of fallen by the wayside. Joel's very wary of Brendan now - especially after what his dad's told him, and what he's seen for himself." In the same episodes, Warren's relationship with Mitzeee is failing and he becomes violent towards her. The actor said that because Joel hates violence towards women after his experiences with his stepdad, Joel feels responsible to take the role of protecting Mitzeee from the violence. Warren's violence does not "sit well" with Joel and he faces a dilemma. He is brought to the realisation that Warren and Mitzeee's situation "mirrors his family life back home" and Joel finds it "hard" to deal with. Still added that "there'll be a big conflict for Joel as to whether he stands by his dad or stands by his principles".
Feuds and relationships Producers gave Joel romantic links, mainly in the form of Joel's Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter). He also has a fling with Annalise Appleton (Tamaryn Payne) and "made eyes at" Ash Kane (Holly Weston). Joel and Theresa's relationship began with a flirtation. Still told Hendry from the Daily Record that it occurs "by nature" because she has a history with Warren, which is "mirrored" between them. Theresa is the "kind of girl" that gains Joel's attention. Porter explained that the two character get together as "clearly there's something between" them. But Joel has a fight with Theresa's ex-boyfriend Will Savage (James Atherton) and it "all goes wrong". She added that "Theresa's not impressed by Joel's jealous streak - but she's still got the hots for him".
In March 2012, Laura Morgan of All About Soap said that Joel would get a "criminal education" from Brendan. Joel later begins feuding with Callum and in one scene they have a fight. Joel's violent trait is played out once again when he attacks Doug Carter (PJ Brennan) to retrieve a package that Brendan has trusted Doug with. Brenndan told Digital Spy's Kilkelly that it was part of a "side-plot" between Joel and Brendan. Even though Joel cannot figure out what the deal is between Brendan and Doug - "he wants to be involved". He added that Joel is so "resentful over being left out of the loop" that he puts on a mask and attacks Doug and steals the package. In April 2012, a writer from Inside Soap reported that "bad boy" Joel would force Bart McQueen (Jonny Clarke) to grow cannabis plants. Clarke told the writer that his character does not know what he has agreed to do for Joel and is left feeling "unnerved".
Stabbing