On the character's transformation Dawson told Digital Spy that when Darren was younger he was "just a horrible child and he had nothing nice to say about anyone" before Darren matured and softened. Dawson added that it was nice to see a different side to the character. Dawson later added that the character's change was good as "everyone goes through changes in their life and Darren just hit that time. It was good timing for him". He also explained that his character becoming a father led him to develop and mature further, stating that Darren accepted his responsibilities as a father and "tries hard to be the father that he wants to be". He felt that Darren enjoyed being a father and that it made him feel "complete and like he has a purpose in life, whereas before he was always chasing his tail". Dawson felt that as time went on, Darren became more helpful, sympathetic and more empathetic towards other characters, especially Jake Dean (Kevin Sacre). Dawson stated, "It's very uncharacteristic but Darren is softening up". Dawson added that Darren's difficult life has led him to mature and act like a "bit of a saint", but that Darren was still greatly misunderstood.