Donna Jackson
Encyclopedia
Donna Jackson is a fictional character
from the BBC
medical drama
Holby City
, played by actress Jaye Jacobs
. She appeared in the programme from its sixth series in 2004, to its thirteenth
in 2011. 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 and accepting more personal responsibilities by adopting her half-niece Mia (Jada Wallace-Mitchell). A tart with a heart character, Donna had many romantic liaisons with her colleagues, including a one-night-stand with midwife Mickie Hendrie (Kelly Adams
). She ultimately fell in love with agency nurse Keiran Callaghan (Barry Sloane
), and departed to be with him after he was injured in Afghanistan
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
, and two crossover editions of the programmes, broadcast as Casualty@Holby City
. After seven years, Jacobs resigned from Holby City in order to pursue new projects. Donna's relationship with her terminally ill father Derek (Clarke Peters
) attracted praise from critics. Her affair with married consultant
Michael Spence (Hari Dhillon
) 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.
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
). 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
as recompense, Donna struggles to manage and learns a new respect for Lisa. During this period, Donna has a friendship with midwife 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 one-night-stand, 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 Justin Fuller (Ben Richards
), Donna moves on to date hospital manager Bradley Hume (Scott Adkins
). 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 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 (Hari Dhillon
), despite the fact he is married. When Michael's wife Annalese (Anna-Louise Plowman
) begins working at the hospital as a locum
anaesthetist, 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 (Clarke Peters
) 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
(Phoebe Thomas
) compete for a ward sister 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 (Barry Sloane
), and is devastated when he is called to serve in Afghanistan
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
(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.
—crossovers with Holby City sister show Casualty
, 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
Paul "Woody" Joyner (Will Thorp
) 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 bequest 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.
, 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
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
Grace Dent
deemed her "weak-willed" in a 2006 feature on television medics, and in 2008, the Daily Mirror 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
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.
), who appears in the series eight episode "Bad Blood". Clarke Peters
, star of American drama series The Wire
, 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
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".
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
) and Mubbs Hussein (Ian Aspinall
), manager Bradley Hume, senior house officer
Sean Thompson (Chinna Wodu), and a love triangle
with married consultant Michael Spence and his cardiothoracic colleague Connie Beauchamp
(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 be "the one" and different from her previous lovers, branding her deluded in this respect.
In a November 2007 article for the Daily Mirror, television critic Jim Shelley
described Donna as a "nymphomaniac", 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
, 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
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. In a plot designed to "bring home the horrors of war", Kieran lost a leg in an IED explosion. In the aftermath, he and Donna reunited, before moving away together.
, and Jimmy Akingbola
. 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."
Awards for her role as Donna. She was also nominated for the "Best Newcomer" award at the 2004 National Television Awards
, 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 "lads' mags".
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 Liverpool Daily Post
, 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.
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 RTÉ.ie
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 organ donation
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[aw] with 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[ing] out all the stops to make sure the first edition in this latest run is something of a cracker."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
medical drama
Medical drama
A medical drama is a television program, in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment.In the United States, most medical episodes are one hour long and, more often than not, are set in a hospital. Most current medical Dramatic programming go beyond the...
Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
, played by actress Jaye Jacobs
Jaye Jacobs
Jaye Jacobs is a British actress.-Career:She is most famous for her role as fun loving nurse, turned Ward Sister, Donna Jackson in the BBC medical drama series Holby City from 2004 to 2011...
. She appeared in the programme from its sixth series in 2004, to its thirteenth
Holby City (series 13)
The thirteenth series of the British medical drama television series Holby City began airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 October 2010, and ran for 52 episodes, concluding on 11 October 2011.-Episodes:...
in 2011. 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 and accepting more personal responsibilities by adopting her half-niece Mia (Jada Wallace-Mitchell). A tart with a heart character, Donna had many romantic liaisons with her colleagues, including a one-night-stand with midwife Mickie Hendrie (Kelly Adams
Kelly Adams
Kelly Adams is an English actress.A pupil of North Kesteven School in North Hykeham, Adams trained at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in Wood Green, London....
). She ultimately fell in love with agency nurse Keiran Callaghan (Barry Sloane
Barry Sloane
Barry Paul Sloane is an English actor. He trained as a musician and actor before landing his first professional acting role in the film In his Life: The John Lennon Story. He has appeared in numerous TV shows, notably the BAFTA award-winning dramas Pleasureland and The Mark of Cain...
), and departed to be with him after he was injured in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
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 (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, and two crossover editions of the programmes, broadcast as Casualty@Holby City
Casualty@Holby City
Casualty@Holby City is the name given to 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 was first aired on 12 January 1999, the first full crossover episode between the two programmes was not...
. After seven years, Jacobs resigned from Holby City in order to pursue new projects. Donna's relationship with her terminally ill father Derek (Clarke Peters
Clarke Peters
Clarke Peters is an American actor, singer, writer and director best known for his role as Detective Lester Freamon on the HBO drama The Wire.-Early life:...
) attracted praise from critics. Her affair with married consultant
Consultant (medicine)
In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...
Michael Spence (Hari Dhillon
Hari Dhillon
Hari Dhillon is an American television, film and stage actor, best known for playing Mr Michael Spence in over 100 episodes of the British television medical drama series Holby City.-Background:...
) proved less popular, with several critics opining that Donna deserved better treatment. She was named "Best Emerging Talent" at the 2005 Screen Nation
Screen Nation
The Screen Nation Film & TV Awards was founded in 2003 by , as a platform to raise the profile of black British and international film and television talent....
Awards for her portrayal of Donna, and was nominated for two further awards while part of the series.
Holby City
Donna arrives at Holby City Hospital as a staff nurse on the general surgeryGeneral surgery
General surgery, despite its name, is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal organs, e.g., intestines including esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland . They also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, soft...
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
Luisa Bradshaw-White is an English actress, best known for her roles on Holby City and This Life.-Career:...
). 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
Acute Assessment Unit
An acute assessment unit, or acute admissions unit, is a short-stay department in some hospitals that is sometimes part of the emergency department, although a separate department. The AAU acts as a gateway between a patient's general practitioner, the emergency department, and the wards of the...
as recompense, Donna struggles to manage and learns a new respect for Lisa. During this period, Donna has a friendship with midwife Mickie Hendrie (Kelly Adams
Kelly Adams
Kelly Adams is an English actress.A pupil of North Kesteven School in North Hykeham, Adams trained at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in Wood Green, London....
). Mickie is questioning her sexuality, and the two have sex while drunk. Mickie is disappointed when Donna states that it was just a one-night-stand, 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 Justin Fuller (Ben Richards
Ben Richards
Ben Richards is an English actor. He is best known for playing Bruno Milligan in series 4 and 5 of the British TV drama Footballers' Wives and in series 1 and 2 of its spin-off Footballers' Wives: Extra Time...
), Donna moves on to date hospital manager Bradley Hume (Scott Adkins
Scott Adkins
Scott Adkins is an English actor and martial artist who is perhaps best known for playing Yuri Boyka in Undisputed II: Last Man Standing and Undisputed III: Redemption and Bradley Hume in Holby City and Ed Russell in Mile High...
). 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 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
Consultant (medicine)
In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...
general surgeon Michael Spence (Hari Dhillon
Hari Dhillon
Hari Dhillon is an American television, film and stage actor, best known for playing Mr Michael Spence in over 100 episodes of the British television medical drama series Holby City.-Background:...
), despite the fact he is married. When Michael's wife Annalese (Anna-Louise Plowman
Anna-Louise Plowman
Anna-Louise Plowman is an actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Consultant Anaesthetist Annalese Carson in Holby City and Dr. Sarah Gardner in Stargate SG-1 who was possessed by the Goa'uld Osiris...
) begins working at the hospital as a locum
Locum
Locum, short for the Latin phrase locum tenens , is a person who temporarily fulfills the duties of another. For example, a locum doctor is a doctor who works in the place of the regular doctor when that doctor is absent, or when a hospital/practice is short-staffed...
anaesthetist, 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 (Clarke Peters
Clarke Peters
Clarke Peters is an American actor, singer, writer and director best known for his role as Detective Lester Freamon on the HBO drama The Wire.-Early life:...
) 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 Kendall
Maria Kendall was a fictional character on the BBC television series Holby City, portrayed by actress Phoebe Thomas. The character first appeared on-screen on 28 November 2006 in the episode It's Been A Long Day - Series 9, Episode 7 of the programme...
(Phoebe Thomas
Phoebe Thomas
Phoebe Thomas is a British actress.Thomas made a name for herself playing Holly Curran on Night and Day from 2001 to 2003. In 2005 she went on to star in the Five soap, Family Affairs, as homeless Jane Hughes...
) compete for a ward sister 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 (Barry Sloane
Barry Sloane
Barry Paul Sloane is an English actor. He trained as a musician and actor before landing his first professional acting role in the film In his Life: The John Lennon Story. He has appeared in numerous TV shows, notably the BAFTA award-winning dramas Pleasureland and The Mark of Cain...
), and is devastated when he is called to serve in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
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
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
(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 Casualty@Holby CityCasualty@Holby City
Casualty@Holby City is the name given to 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 was first aired on 12 January 1999, the first full crossover episode between the two programmes was not...
—crossovers with Holby City sister show Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, which is set in the hospital's emergency department
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
(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
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
Paul "Woody" Joyner (Will Thorp
Will Thorp
Will Thorp is an English actor.-Early life:Living in Frome as a youngster, Thorp attended a Catholic college in near-by Trowbridge, Wiltshire. He studied at Bath College and joined Musical Youth Theatre Company at an early age. Thorp was also a member of the National Youth Theatre...
) 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
Casualty (series 25)
The twenty-fifth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 4 September 2010. The series is planned to feature several crossovers with spin-off show Holby City.-Cast:...
. She was included in the episode at the bequest 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.
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 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 PearsonJan Pearson
Jan Pearson is an English actress currently known for playing Karen Hollins in the BBC's daytime soap Doctors which she joined in February 2009. In 2010, Jan won the award of Best On-Screen Partnership for her role as Karen Hollins alongside with Chris Walker.-Early life:Born and brought up in...
, 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
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
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
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
Grace Dent
Grace Dent
Grace Dent is an English journalist, author, and broadcaster. Dent writes mainly for The Guardian, where she has a weekly column on television, 'Grace Dent's TV-OD'. She also writes for magazines such as Tatler and Marie Claire. She writes a restaurant review column for the London Evening...
deemed her "weak-willed" in a 2006 feature on television medics, and in 2008, the Daily Mirror 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
itv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 11 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV1 brand. The website offers on-line streaming, ITV archive, news, sport, entertainment, games, soaps, lifestyle, drama and an interactive TV...
website for the entertainment show This Morning
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
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.
Family
Donna was raised by her grandmother Shirley (Lynda BaronLynda Baron
Lynda Baron is a BAFTA-nominated English stage, film and television actress, perhaps best known for playing the extremely busty Nurse Gladys Emmanuel, the object of Arkwright's affection, in the BBC comedy series Open All Hours....
), who appears in the series eight episode "Bad Blood". Clarke Peters
Clarke Peters
Clarke Peters is an American actor, singer, writer and director best known for his role as Detective Lester Freamon on the HBO drama The Wire.-Early life:...
, star of American drama series The Wire
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
, 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
Tony McHale is a British actor, writer and director who has the dubious honour of being best known as a "stooge" to Jeremy Beadle on Game For A Laugh and later, Beadle's About. He trained at Rose Bruford College. He also enjoyed a long stint as a writer/director on the top rated BBC1 soap opera...
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 tart with a heart 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-watershedWatershed (television)
In television, the term watershed denotes the time period in a television schedule during which programs with adult content can air....
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
Specialist registrar
A Specialist Registrar or SpR is a doctor in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland who is receiving advanced training in a specialist field of medicine in order eventually to become a consultant...
Ed Keating (Rocky Marshall
Rocky Marshall
Rocky Marshall is a British television and film actor, living near Battersea park.-Biography:He has starred in mainstream movies such as Mr Right, Hart's War, Re-Kill and Mean Machine...
) and Mubbs Hussein (Ian Aspinall
Ian Aspinall
Ian Aspinall is a British actor who is well known for his role on Holby City where he played Mubbs Hussein from 2001 to 2005. He has been in City Central, The Bill, Silent Witness, Peak Practice, and Casualty. He also had a role in East is East playing eldest son Nazir Khan...
), manager Bradley Hume, senior house officer
Senior house officer
A senior house officer is a junior doctor undergoing training within a certain speciality in the British National Health Service or in the Republic of Ireland. SHOs are supervised by consultants and registrars, who oversee their training and are their designated clinical supervisors...
Sean Thompson (Chinna Wodu), and a love triangle
Love triangle
A love triangle is usually a romantic relationship involving three people. While it can refer to two people independently romantically linked with a third, it usually implies that each of the three people has some kind of relationship to the other two...
with married consultant Michael Spence and his cardiothoracic colleague Connie Beauchamp
Connie Beauchamp
Constance "Connie" Beauchamp is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Amanda Mealing. She first appeared in the series six episode "In at the Deep End", broadcast on 1 June 2004, and remained in the programme until its thirteenth series, departing in the...
(Amanda Mealing
Amanda Mealing
Amanda Jane Mealing is a British actress best known for playing Connie Beauchamp in the BBC One medical drama series Holby City.-Early life:...
). 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 be "the one" and different from her previous lovers, branding her deluded in this respect.
In a November 2007 article for the Daily Mirror, television critic Jim Shelley
Jim Shelley (TV critic)
Jim Shelley is a British television critic who writes a column for the Daily Mirror each Monday titled Shelleyvision. Prior to writing for the Daily Mirror he wrote for The Guardian and his collection of reviews "Interference: Tapehead vs. Television" was published by Atlantic Books...
described Donna as a "nymphomaniac", 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
Liverpool Echo
The Liverpool Echo is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Saturday, and is Liverpool's evening newspaper while its sister paper, the Liverpool Daily Post, is the morning paper...
, 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
Tour of duty
In the Navy, a tour of duty is a period of time spent performing operational duties at sea, including combat, performing patrol or fleet duties, or assigned to service in a foreign country....
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
What's On TV
What's on TV is a weekly television listings magazine published by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.-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 competitions...
noted a change in Donna's demeanour, observing that she had "soured" in contrast to her former "bubbly" friendliness. In a plot designed to "bring home the horrors of war", Kieran lost a leg in an IED explosion. In the aftermath, he and Donna reunited, before moving away together.
Departure
Jacobs departed from Holby City in 2011, wanting to "broaden [her] horizons" 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 RouassLaila Rouass
Laila Abdesselam Rouass is a British actress. She is best known for her role as Amber Gates in the British television drama Footballers' Wives and as Sarah Page in the third season of Primeval .-Career:...
, and Jimmy Akingbola
Jimmy Akingbola
Jimmy Akingbola is a British television, theatre and film actor. Born in 1978 in Plaistow, London to Nigerian parents, he was the youngest of four children...
. 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."
Reception and impact
Jacobs won the "Best Emerging Talent" accolade at the 2005 Screen NationScreen Nation
The Screen Nation Film & TV Awards was founded in 2003 by , as a platform to raise the profile of black British and international film and television talent....
Awards for her role as Donna. She was also nominated for the "Best Newcomer" award at the 2004 National Television Awards
National Television Awards
The National Television Awards 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 voted on by the general public. Because of the way the awards are decided, winners are...
, 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 "lads' mags".
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 Liverpool Daily Post
Liverpool Daily Post
The Liverpool Daily Post is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Friday and is published in Merseyside, Cheshire, and North Wales editions, and is a morning paper...
, 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
Henrik Hanssen
Henrik Hanssen is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actor Guy Henry. He first appeared in "Shifts", the premiere episode of the programme's thirteenth series, broadcast on 19 October 2010...
(Guy Henry) in defence of her fellow nurses.
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 RTÉ.ie
Rte.ie
RTÉ.ie is the brand name and home of RTÉ's online activities, located at the URL http://rte.ie. The site began publishing on 26 May 1996. According to RTÉ, it operates on an entirely commercial basis, receiving none of the licence fee which funds much of RTÉ's activity. The site, it says, is funded...
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 organ donation
Organ donation
Organ donation is the donation of biological tissue or an organ of the human body, from a living or dead person to a living recipient in need of a transplantation. Transplantable organs and tissues are removed in a surgical procedure following a determination, based on the donor's medical and...
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[aw] with 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
Birmingham Post
The Birmingham Post newspaper was originally published under the name Daily Post in Birmingham, England, in 1857 by John Frederick Feeney. It was the largest selling broadsheet in the West Midlands, though it faced little if any competition in this category. It changed to tabloid size in 2008...
, 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
Daily Record (Scotland)
The Daily Record is a Scottish tabloid newspaper based in Glasgow. It had been the best-selling daily paper in Scotland for many years with a paid circulation in August 2011 of 307,794 . It is now outsold by its arch-rival the Scottish Sun which in September 2010 had a circulation of 339,586 in...
cited Jacobs' appearance as Donna in the premiere episode of Casualty twenty-fifth series as a positive example of the BBC "pull[ing] out all the stops to make sure the first edition in this latest run is something of a cracker."
External links
- Donna Jackson at BBC Programmes