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.