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Donna Jackson is a fictional character from the

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medical drama '' Holby City'', played by actress

Jaye Jacobs Emma Jaye Jacobs (born 27 May 1982), known professionally as Jaye Jacobs, is an English actress. She is best known for playing the roles of Donna Jackson in the BBC medical drama series '' Holby City'' from 2004 to 2011 and 2017 to 2022 and deput ...

. She appeared in the programme from its sixth series in 2004, to its

thirteenth In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the thirteenth. The interval can be also described as a compound sixth, spanning an octa ...

in 2011, and from its nineteenth in 2017. Donna entered the series as a staff nurse, characterised as a wild-child with a chaotic personal life. During her tenure, she grew to take her work more seriously, becoming a

ward sister Nursing in the United Kingdom has a long history. The current form of nursing is often considered as beginning with Florence Nightingale who pioneered modern nursing. Nightingale initiated formal schools of nursing in the United Kingdom in the l ...

and accepting more personal responsibilities by adopting her half-niece Mia (Jada Wallace-Mitchell). A

tart with a heart The hooker with a heart of gold is a stock character involving a courtesan or prostitute who possesses virtues such as integrity, generosity and kindness. Characteristics The character type is defined by morally positive traits, which are cont ...

character, Donna had many romantic liaisons with her colleagues, including a

one-night stand A one-night stand or one-night sex is a single sexual encounter in which there is an expectation that there shall be no further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single ...

with

midwife A midwife is a health professional who cares for mothers and newborns around childbirth, a specialization known as midwifery. The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughout their lifespan; co ...

Mickie Hendrie ( Kelly Adams). She ultimately fell in love with agency nurse Kieran Callaghan (

Barry Sloane Barry Sloane (born Barry Paul Sloan;''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005''; at ancestry.com 10 February 1981) is an English actor. He has appeared in numerous television shows, and in the BAFTA Award–winning telev ...

), and departed to be with him after he was injured in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

as part of the Territorial Army. Jacobs' casting was chronicled in the documentary ''Making It at Holby''. She made appearances as Donna in both ''Holby City'' sister show ''

Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...

'', and two crossover editions of the programmes, broadcast as ''

Casualty@Holby City Casualty@Holby City (styled as ''CASUAL+Y @ HOLBY CI+Y'') is a series of special crossover episodes of BBC medical dramas ''Casualty'' and '' Holby City''. While ''Casualty'' was launched on 6 September 1986, and its spin-off ''Holby City'' wa ...

''. After seven years, Jacobs resigned from ''Holby City'' in order to pursue new projects. The character's reintroduction was announced in February 2017. Donna's relationship with her terminally ill father Derek (

Clarke Peters Peter Clarke (born April 7, 1952), known professionally as Clarke Peters, is an American-British actor, writer, and director. He is best known for his roles as Lester Freamon in the television series ''The Wire'' (2002–2008) and Albert Lambrea ...

) attracted praise from critics. Her affair with married consultant Michael Spence (

Hari Dhillon Hari Dhillon ( pa, ਹਰੀ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ (Gurmukhi)) is an American television, film and stage actor, best known for playing Michael Spence in British television medical drama series '' Holby City''. His name has also been spelled Hari D ...

) proved less popular, with several critics opining that Donna deserved better treatment. She was named "Best Emerging Talent" at the 2005 Screen Nation Awards for her portrayal of Donna, and was nominated for two further awards while part of the series.

Storylines

''Holby City''

Donna arrives at Holby City Hospital as a staff nurse on the general surgery ward, making a poor first impression by being disorganised and insolent. Mistakenly believing that living with her superior will ensure her an easy time at work, Donna invites herself to move in with nurse Lisa Fox (

Luisa Bradshaw-White Luisa Bradshaw-White (born 9 December 1974) is a former English actress, known for playing Tina Carter in '' EastEnders'' and for her previous roles on '' Bad Girls'', '' Holby City'' and ''This Life''. She has also made appearances in televisi ...

). The two have a strained relationship: within weeks, Donna is evicted for falling behind on her rent, and when she is later allowed to move back in, she lets bailiffs take Lisa's possessions after failing to keep up her own loan repayments. Forced to run a shift in charge of the hospital's

Acute Assessment Unit An acute admissions unit is a short-stay department in some British, Australian and New Zealand hospitals that may be linked to the emergency department, but functions as a separate department. The AMU acts as a gateway between a patient's gene ...

as recompense, Donna struggles to manage and learns a new respect for Lisa. During this period, Donna has a friendship with

Mickie Hendrie ( Kelly Adams). Mickie is questioning her sexuality, and the two have sex while drunk. Mickie is disappointed when Donna states that it was just a

, but they are able to reconcile their friendship. When the general surgery ward is downsized, Donna is forced to reapply for her job. Although she gives a good interview and impresses Lisa, other candidates have more experience, so she is unable to retain her position and has to work as a bank nurse. Following a short-lived relationship with

physiotherapist Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patien ...

Justin Fuller '' Holby City'' is a British medical drama television series that premiered on 12 January 1999 on BBC One. The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama ''Casualty''. It is set in the ...

( Ben Richards), Donna moves on to date hospital manager

Bradley Hume ''Holby City'' is a British medical drama television series that premiered on 12 January 1999 on BBC One. The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a Spin-off (media), spin-off from the established BBC medical drama ''Casualty (TV s ...

(

Scott Adkins Scott Edward Adkins (born 17 June 1976) is a British actor, film producer, screenwriter, gymnast, and martial artist. He is best known for his role as the Russian prison fighter Yuri Boyka in the ''Undisputed franchise''. He has played Yuri Boy ...

). Their relationship is terminated by the discovery that Bradley has been running a pharmaceutical scam, resulting in the death of one of Donna's patients due to a morphine overdose. After entering into a scratchcard syndicate at work, Donna wins £20,000. She refuses to share her winnings with the others and resigns from her job, making plans to travel to Australia. On her last day, a patient with

bi-polar disorder Bipolar may refer to: Astronomy * Bipolar nebula, a distinctive nebular formation * Bipolar outflow, two continuous flows of gas from the poles of a star Mathematics * Bipolar coordinates, a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system * Bipola ...

steals and re-distributes her money. Donna misses her flight, and is forced to remain in Holby. She goes on to begin an affair with consultant general surgeon Michael Spence (

), despite the fact he is married. When Michael's wife Annalese ( Anna-Louise Plowman) begins working at the hospital as a

locum A locum, or locum tenens, is a person who temporarily fulfills the duties of another; the term is especially used for physicians or clergy. For example, a ''locum tenens physician'' is a physician who works in the place of the regular physician. ...

anaesthetist Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology, or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine ...

, she suspects that Michael has been unfaithful to her and confronts Donna, who confesses the affair and apologises profusely. Donna is shocked when her estranged father Derek (

) is admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with cancer. He dies soon thereafter, and when dealing with his effects, Donna learns that he unknowingly fathered another daughter. Though her half-sister is recently deceased, Donna meets her half-niece Mia (Jada Wallace-Mitchell), who is being raised by her grandmother, Patti (Barbara Drennan). Within weeks, Patti also dies, and Donna decides to adopt Mia. She and her friend

Maria Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...

( Phoebe Thomas) compete for a

position on the general surgery ward. Although Maria is the successful applicant, she realises that Donna needs the job in order to support Mia, and withdraws her candidacy so Donna is appointed sister. Donna falls in love with agency nurse Kieran Callaghan (

), and is devastated when he is called to serve in

with the Territorial Army (TA). Kieran asks her to marry him, but Donna refuses, terminating their relationship with the intention of giving Mia stability. When Kieran is injured by an

improvised explosive device An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery shell, attached to a detonating mecha ...

(IED), Donna reconsiders, supporting him through the amputation of his leg. Upon learning that he will be transferred to a rehabilitation unit in Liverpool, Donna resigns in order to move there with him.

''Casualty@Holby City''; ''Casualty''

Donna has appeared in two editions of ''

''—crossovers with ''Holby City'' sister show ''

'', which is set in the hospital's emergency department (ED). In the first such crossover, originally broadcast in December 2004, Donna works alongside ED staff members when a fuel tanker crashes into the hospital. She reappears in the fourth edition of ''Casualty@Holby City'', originally broadcast in December 2005, when she is involved in a car crash en route to the staff Christmas party. She and

paramedic A paramedic is a registered healthcare professional who works autonomously across a range of health and care settings and may specialise in clinical practice, as well as in education, leadership, and research. Not all ambulance personnel are p ...

Paul "Woody" Joyner (

Will Thorp Will Thorp (born 21 June 1977) is an English actor. Early life Thorp attended St Augustine's Catholic College in Trowbridge. He studied at Bath College and joined Musical Youth Theatre Company. Thorp was also a member of the National Youth T ...

) then inadvertently cause a tunnel to collapse while trying to rescue a trapped baby. In 2010, Donna appeared in ''Casualty'' itself, for the launch of the show's twenty-fifth series. She was included in the episode at the request of its writer, Mark Cately. ''Casualty'' series producer Oliver Kent deemed her "hilariously funny" and "one of ''Holby'' best characters". During the episode, the ED staff work through the aftermath of a school shooting. Jacobs explained that Donna finds the shift difficult and is "really quite scared", as she is used to working with routine rather than emergency patients. In contrast to her typical disorganisation and laziness, Donna is forced to work hard and "put herself on the line" to keep up with the other staff members. Jacobs appears as Donna in a two-part crossover episode with ''Holby City'' sister show, ''

'', originally broadcast in March 2019.

Development

Casting and characterisation

Jacobs was cast as Donna immediately after leaving drama school, and considers herself "completely blessed" for having won the role. She was cast alongside fellow series six newcomer Kelly Adams, as midwife Mickie Hendrie. A BBC documentary entitled ''Making It at Holby'' chronicled their casting process, which entailed seven weeks of auditions, including group workshops to allow the series producers to gauge candidates' personalities. Adams originally auditioned as Donna, however the casting directors felt that she would be better suited to Mickie, the quieter character, and "mild mannered" counterpart to Donna's "sassy staff nurse". She and Jacobs were paired together during a three-hour workshop, and the producers detected an "instant spark" between them, leading to their dual casting. Following her successful audition, Jacobs was mentored by actress

Jan Pearson Jan Pearson (born 12 April 1959) is an English actress, known for her roles as Kath Fox in the BBC medical drama '' Holby City'' and Karen Hollins in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', which she joined in February 2009. In 2010, Pearson won the ...

, who played ward sister Kath Fox. Jacobs characterised Donna as "a working class tart". Upon her arrival in the programme, Donna was said to be a recent college graduate. Lacking career ambition, she selected nursing as the most exciting role available to her, hoping to meet a wealthy surgeon. The BBC stated that, despite her lack of ambition, Donna was likely to succeed on her chosen career path due to her propensity to "land on her feet". On the series' official website, Donna was described as a party girl with a "wild-child reputation". Her negative characteristics included being easily led and materialistic, easily bored, and "outspoken, stubborn and lazy". The website also highlighted her determination to "live life to the full", her fun-loving and straight-talking nature, bravery, honesty and loyalty, and the fact that "her heart's in the right place." Donna's costume initially involved short skirts, tight-fitting tops, multi-coloured hair extensions and a nose-stud. Jacobs, who affected a

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

ian accent for the role, commented that Donna had "no sense of what she should keep covered up." A size 12, Jacobs was not pressured to lose weight for the role, and considered Donna's figure "part of her loveable charm". In early episodes, the character was seen to partake in recreational drug use and arrive for work hungover. Jacobs described her as "everything that you secretly want to be, but can't get away with in normal society", calling her "very gregarious" and immune to maturing. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

Grace Dent Grace Dent (born 3 October 1973) is an English columnist, broadcaster and author. She is a restaurant critic for ''The Guardian'' and from 2011 to 2017 wrote a restaurant column for the ''Evening Standard''. She is a regular critic on the BBC' ...

deemed her "weak-willed" in a 2006 feature on television medics, and in 2008, the ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print c ...

'' Jane Simon branded her unintelligent. A 2006 review by Simon noted that Donna lacked dedication to her job, and was easily distracted by her love life. Following an April 2008 interview with Jacobs, the

itv.com itv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 13 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV brand (or the UTV brand in Northern Ireland). The website offers online streaming, ...

website for the entertainment show '' This Morning'' observed that despite Donna's "chaotic" personal life, she had grown more serious about her work. Ultimately, adopting her half-niece Mia forced Donna to grow up, focussing on her career by attaining promotion to ward sister and accepting the resultant responsibilities. Reflecting on Donna's development in January 2011, Jacobs observed that she had changed a great deal from her early days, when she was used as a comical character with "bumbling one-liners", into a serious, more responsible person. When Donna returned in 2017, Jacobs billed her character as "flirty, brash and ballsy", while Simon Harper, the show's acting executive producer, described Donna as "sparky ndirreverent". Jacobs told Jessica Ransom of ''

What's on TV ''What's on TV'' is a weekly television listings magazine published by Future PLC. Overview ''What's on TV'' is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and compet ...

'' that although Donna has matured since her departure in 2011, she is "still just Donna Jackson". She summarised Donna as "such a floored, quirky, mental character." Jacobs confirmed that Donna continues to be flirtatious upon her return, because it is in her personality. Sarah Deen, writing for the ''

Metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urb ...

'', branded the character a "flirty, feisty whirlwind" and described her as "ballsy and bubbly". Reflecting on Donna's character development between leaving and returning, Jacobs commented, "Before she was a girl in her 20s who was very focused on love and men, and now she has two children so her life is a lot more child-focused." She added that Donna tries to focus on her maturer lifestyle while maintaining the lifestyle she had when she was younger. Jacobs stated that Donna's costume reflected that and opined that her dress sense had "regressed" since her departure. A

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 ...

contributor characterised Donna as "a sassy, fun-loving nurse and a breath of fresh air." They stated that Donna is able to voice her opinions because she speaks in a comical tone. The reporter added that Donna returned to the nursing profession "a little worldlier" than before.

Family

Donna was raised by her grandmother Shirley (

Lynda Baron Lilian Ridgway (24 March 1939 – 5 March 2022), known professionally as Lynda Baron, was an English actress and singer. She is best known for having played Nurse Gladys Emmanuel in the BBC sitcom ''Open All Hours'' (1976–1985) and its sequel ...

), who appears in the series eight episode "Bad Blood".

, star of American drama series ''

The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The Wire'' premiered on June 2 ...

'', was cast as her estranged father in 2009. He appeared from 14 July to 11 August 2009, suffering from cancer of the splenic flexure, pancreas and abdominal wall. Jacobs was "thrilled" by Peters' casting, and reported that his first appearance rendered the programme's crew "star-struck" for the first time in her five years on the show. His appearance allowed Donna to confront her father over his abandonment of her as a child, and rendered her devastated upon learning that he had accepted his impending death. Peters assessed that his appearance had an "enormous impact" on Donna, explaining that his role allowed the audience to discover more about her life, as: "This is a way to get into these characters rather than just seeing them as one-dimensional characters, dealing with whatever happens at Holby." Producers Diana Kyle and

Tony McHale Tony McHale (born Anthony John Wright, Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire) is a British actor, writer, director and producer, who is known for starring in ''Coronation Street'' and also known as a "stooge" to Jeremy Beadle on '' Game For A Laugh ...

intended the storyline to reveal a new side to Donna, depicting her attempting to cope, in contrast to the "smiling party girl" viewers were familiar with. Following her father's death, Donna adopted her half-niece Mia. Discussing the development in the context of her 2010 ''Casualty'' appearance, Jacobs explained that it made her ED shift particularly stressful as "she now has little Mia to look after – if anything happens to Donna, Mia is completely on her own." She expanded that, "The stakes have really moved on for Donna over the last couple of years. She's had to accept some responsibility and it's not now just about which man she's going to sleep with next".

Relationships

Perennially "unlucky in love", Donna fits the

stereotype. Her numerous romances during her tenure earned her the nickname "Nurse 'Action' Jackson". In 2004, she had a lesbian liaison with Mickie. The scene in which they kissed was edited to half its original length after being deemed too explicit for pre- watershed broadcast. Later that year, Jacobs stated that her ideal storyline would be for Donna to find a good man and gain a promotion, hoping she would find someone who would treat her well and help her give up her recreational drug habit. Her love interests included physiotherapist Justin Fuller, registrars Ed Keating (

Rocky Marshall Rocky Marshall (born c.1967) is an English television and film actor, living near Battersea Park. Biography Rocky Marshall trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and was taught by Sam Kogan for the first 2 years there. He has starred in mo ...

) and

Mubbs Hussein ''Holby City'' is a British medical drama television series that premiered on 12 January 1999 on BBC One. The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' Casualty''. It is set in the ...

(

Ian Aspinall Ian Aspinall (born 1961) is a British actor. He played Mubbs Hussein in '' Holby City'' from 2001 to 2005, and has also appeared in '' City Central'', ''The Bill'', '' Silent Witness'', ''Peak Practice'', '' Waterloo Road'' and ''Casualty''. He al ...

), manager Bradley Hume,

senior house officer A senior house officer (SHO) is a non-consultant hospital doctor in the Republic of Ireland. SHOs are supervised in their work by consultants and registrars. In training posts these registrars and consultants oversee training and are usually their d ...

Sean Thompson (Chinna Wodu), and a love triangle with married consultant Michael Spence and his cardiothoracic colleague

Connie Beauchamp Connie Beauchamp is a fictional character from the BBC medical dramas ''Holby City'' and '' Casualty'', portrayed by actress Amanda Mealing. She first appeared in the series six, episode 35, "In at the Deep End", broadcast on 1 June 2004, and ...

( Amanda Mealing). Although Michael did not initially disclose to Donna that he was married, Jacobs stated that her character was aware of this "deep down", but was unfortunately unperturbed. He treated her badly, to the point that he would only have sex with her in a toilet stall; nonetheless Jacobs assessed that Donna was in love with him, believing him to be "the one" and different from her previous lovers, branding her deluded in this respect. In a November 2007 article for the ''

'', television critic Jim Shelley described Donna as a "

nymphomaniac Hypersexuality is extremely frequent or suddenly increased libido. It is controversial whether it should be included as a clinical diagnosis used by mental healthcare professionals. Nymphomania and satyriasis were terms previously used for the c ...

", though qualified his comment with the addendum "to be fair, sex addiction is a job requirement in ''Holby''." His ''Mirror'' colleague Simon branded Donna supremely unsubtle in her pursuit of Michael, deeming her "unsinkable", and in a later piece for ''The Guardian'', Shelley commented on Donna's proclivity for sleeping with senior staff members at inopportune moments, to the detriment of patient care. She was dubbed "man crazy" by Tina Miles of the ''

Liverpool Echo The ''Liverpool Echo'' is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales – a subsidiary company of Reach plc and is based in St Paul's Square, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Sunday, and is Liver ...

'', and "shameless" by the ''Mirror'' Clare Raymond, who noted that she would "stop at nothing to snare a rich doctor". Despite her numerous sex scenes, Donna did not have a genuinely romantic storyline until beginning a slow-burning romance with agency nurse Kieran Callaghan in late 2010. She initially disliked him, suspecting him of shirking his work duties, and at one point requested that he never return to her ward. Jacobs assessed that Donna was attracted to him, but would not allow herself to accept it at first, having had so many failed relationships with men ill-suited to her. They went on to begin a relationship, with Jacobs describing Kieran as "Donna's dream come true", and co-star Sloane deeming the two a "great match". Their relationship was impeded by Kieran's commitment to the TA and

tour of duty For military personnel, a tour of duty is usually a period of time spent in combat or in a hostile environment. In an army, for instance, soldiers on active duty serve 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the length of their service commitment. ...

in Afghanistan. Sloane felt that Kieran did not sufficiently explain the extent of his involvement with the TA, and assessed that Donna failed to understand his "soldier mentality", stating that their problems stemmed from a mutual stubbornness. Following Kieran's deployment, television magazine ''What's on TV'' noted a change in Donna's demeanour, observing that she had "soured" in contrast to her former "bubbly" friendliness. Kieran lost a leg in an IED explosion. In the aftermath, he and Donna reunited, before moving away together. By the time she returns, Donna has become a footballer's wife after marrying footballer Jared Baptiste (

Leon Lopez Leon Lopez (born 30 August 1979, in Liverpool) is a British actor, television and film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model, best known for playing the role of Jerome Johnson in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Brookside'' from 1998 to 20 ...

). Jacobs explained that Donna and Jared share a difficult relationship since Donna has "married into a lifestyle without realising it." Donna and Jared have a child, Amber Baptiste, which Jacobs thought was nice for Donna's character development. Donna considers Mia and Amber her top priority; on this, BBC Online contributor commented, "She would do anything to give her two girls all they need in life." Deen (''Metro'') observed that Donna has adopted "a new flashy lifestyle" since leaving

Holby Holby is a fictional city in the United Kingdom, the setting for the BBC medical dramas '' Casualty'' and ''Holby City'', and the police drama ''HolbyBlue''. It is based on the real city of Bristol, where ''Casualty'' was formerly filmed, and is ...

. Jacobs stated that despite her matured lifestyle, Donna would continue to be flirtatious. She also confirmed that Donna would not have a love interest, which she disliked. The actress hoped that Donna would be given a love interest after becoming reestablished within the series.

Departure

Jacobs departed from ''Holby City'' in 2011, wanting to "broaden erhorizons" after seven years in the programme. The thirteenth series saw the departure of many regular cast members, and the arrival of a group of new ones, including Guy Henry,

Laila Rouass Laila Rouass (née Abdesselam) is a British actress. She is best known for her portrayals of Amber Gates in ''Footballers' Wives'' (2004–2006) and Sahira Shah in '' Holby City'' (2011–2012, 2021). She has also starred in '' Primeval'' and ...

, and

Jimmy Akingbola James Olatokunbo Akingbola (born 7 April 1978) is an English television, theatre and film actor. Early life Jimmy Akingbola was born in London to parents of the Yoruba tribe who had emigrated from Nigeria. In 1996, Akingbola started at the ...

. Jacobs deemed it "a new era with a new cast", one which she was not part of, and stated that the time felt right to leave. She had some input in her exit storyline, the focal point of which was Donna's relationship with Kieran, as they moved away to begin a new life together. Jacobs relayed feedback she had received from the general public with regards to how Donna should leave, and this was incorporated into her departure. The actress felt personal pressure to get Donna's last scenes right, wanting to give the best performance possible. She found the filming "overwhelming", explaining "it was incredibly emotional and intense, and it made it all very hard, and raw. ..It wasn't until later that I realised I'd put myself under a hideously stressful situation, and that I should just be enjoying the experience." She stated: "I've absolutely loved playing Donna. I know that I'm going to look back very fondly on the time I had with her. I really got to know the character, and she had so many facets and was always fun to play."

Return

Jacobs reprised her role as Donna in 2017 and the character returns in Spring 2017. Donna claims that she is returning to the nursing profession as a "

Good Samaritan In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil and is of interest in the study of ethics, morality, ph ...

", following her marriage to a footballer. However, it was teased that her reasons for returning may not be true. Jacobs missed the character and was pleased to return to the role, commenting, "Donna and I have unfinished business." Harper was glad that Jacobs decided to return and called her return "thrilling". Jacobs decided to reprise the role after assessing what she could bring to the character and realising how it could be "exciting" to Donna in this stage of her life. Jacobs signed a year-long contract after agreeing to return. She found it easy to relax back into the cast and found it comforting. Donna returns following the death of F1 Jasmine Burrows (

Lucinda Dryzek Lucinda Dryzek (born 4 August 1991) is an English actress of Polish descent, known for playing Katy Riley in the BBC sitcom '' Life of Riley'' and Jasmine Burrows in BBC medical drama ''Holby City''. Career She started acting at the age of eig ...

) when the hospital's mood is low. Deen (''Metro'') thought that Donna's forthright personality would be "the last thing the Holby staff need at the moment". Donna tries to lighten the atmosphere, although her upbeat persona is found to be inappropriate in the circumstances. Jacobs explained that Donna is "trying too hard" and that she "wants it all to work out so badly" because she enjoys being at the hospital. Donna's behaviour causes her to clash with Adrian "Fletch" Fletcher ( Alex Walkinshaw), the ward manager of the

(AAU), where Donna is based. Jacobs explained that Donna and Fletch clash when she fails to listen to Fletch's instructions. The actress enjoyed portraying the tension between the characters and preferred it to Donna being everyone's friend. Jacobs and Walkinshaw previously starred together on '' Waterloo Road'' as a married couple so they share a good relationship. The actress also confirmed that Donna and Fletch would not begin a relationship. The reasons for Donna's return are unexplained for several episodes. However, Donna returns richer than she departed, which Jacobs thought was "very unlike Donna". The actress confirmed that Donna has developed " skeletons in her closet" after leaving Holby, which she brings with her when she returns. Donna has a close relationship with

Ric Griffin Kobina Eric "Ric" Griffin is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama '' Holby City'', portrayed by actor Hugh Quarshie. The character is introduced as a consultant in general surgery during the series four episode " Rogue Males", ori ...

(

Hugh Quarshie Hugh Anthony Quarshie (born 22 December 1954) is a Ghanaian-born British actor. Some of his best-known roles include his appearances in the films ''Highlander'' (1986), '' The Church'' (1989), ''Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' (1 ...

), who acts as a father figure to her. Jacobs liked that Donna had one already established friendship when she returns.

Reception and impact

Jacobs won the "Best Emerging Talent" accolade at the 2005 Screen Nation Awards for her role as Donna. She was also nominated for the "Best Newcomer" award at the 2004

National Television Awards The National Television Awards (often shortened to NTAs) is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are vot ...

, and the "Favourite Female TV Star" Screen Nation award in 2008. Discussing public reaction to her character, Jacobs stated that real nurses enjoyed her "man-eating antics", and were envious that Donna got away with wearing so much make-up. She commented, "I've never met anyone who has been sensitive about Donna throwing herself at men. The women I meet seem to appreciate her tactics." In the aftermath of the Donna/Mickie storyline, the BBC banned its actresses from appearing in raunchy photo-shoots, after Jacobs and Adams were photographed in intimate poses while dressed in nurses uniforms for various "

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". In November 2007, Shelley deemed Donna one of ''Holby City'' few "really good, realistic, characters". He named Peters' casting as Donna's father his "Worst TV moment of the year" in 2009, however found their relationship "deeply moving". Donna's farewell speech to Derek was again called moving by both a reviewer for the ''

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'', and Simon, though she had previously despaired at Donna's optimism despite Derek's terminal prognosis. The following year, ''What's on TV'' named Donna one of their favourite characters, praising her for taking a stance against Director of Surgery Henrik Hanssen ( Guy Henry) in defence of her fellow nurses. Harper considered Donna "one of the most popular and iconic ''Holby'' characters ever". Donna's relationship with Michael proved unpopular with critics. In an editorial discussing the boundaries between fiction and reality, ''The Guardian'' Scott Murray and Barney Ronay declared their love for Donna, commending the way she "always has time for people" and recommending that she stay away from Michael as she deserves better. Bree Treacy of ''

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'' believes that Michael had better chemistry with Donna than with his wife Annalese, however similarly commented that he did not deserve Donna, never having seen her as more than "a notch on his stethoscope". Following her promotion to ward sister, Treacy hoped that the series producers would give Donna a man who would see her "as more than just a good time girl." Simon criticized Donna for failing to observe correct

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protocol in an attempt to win Michael's affection, commenting that she had "thrown her own heart willynilly at the first good-looking doctor she s wwith an ego the size of Texas." She later branded her "selfish to a fault" for her negative reaction to Kieran's posting to Afghanistan, but opined that Kieran "makes a far more suitable partner for her" than Michael did. Several of Donna's pivotal episodes were selected as recommended viewing by critics. "Myself, Coming Back", the series ten episode in which she goes on a road-trip and discovers the existence of her niece, Mia, was named a televisual highlight by the ''Daily Mirror'', '' Birmingham Post'', and ''Liverpool Daily Echo'', with the latter publication deeming it "refreshingly different" following the "doom and gloom" of preceding episodes. Many regional newspapers named "Promises", in which she decides to adopt Mia, a "pick of the day", and Sarah Morgan of the '' Daily Record'' cited Jacobs' appearance as Donna in the premiere episode of ''Casualty'' twenty-fifth series as a positive example of the BBC "pull ngout all the stops to make sure the first edition in this latest run is something of a cracker." Ransom (''What's on TV'') looked forward to Donna's return, commenting, "We can't wait to see her get stuck back in to all the action!"

References

External links

Donna Jackson
at BBC Programmes {{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Donna Fictional Black British people Television characters introduced in 2004 Fictional nurses Holby City characters Fictional English people Crossover characters in television British female characters in television