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", 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.