His character was branded a "rat" and "dastardly" for splitting up Gina and Emily by the "Daily Record". Upon Darren's 2003 return to "Hollyoaks", the "Sunday Mercury" said he had become "even more of a pain in the neck". They later called the character "a really nasty piece of work" and when he stole from his father, they questioned if Jack would "see what he's really like". "Inside Soap"s Peter Griffiths referred to Darren as one of the serial's "reliable stalwarts", saying it was a "relief" when he appeared and added that Darren was one of the characters who can "be relied upon to deliver". He added that the "tried-and-tested" characters helped the show through its rough patches and that they should be given the storylines they deserved. Griffiths' colleague Sarah maintained that Darren was the only part of the show that held her interest. "The Press and Journal" described Darren's time on the soap, saying: "He languished in prison for helping his father fake his own death, has battled a crippling gambling addiction and has been known to steal people's girlfriends and break up relationships".