Donna and Curtis

7.10 (302) Achilles Heel [30/11/03]

Donna and Tony

7.13 (305) Oh Come All Ye Faithful [21/12/03]

Donna and Viv

7.15 (307) Baptism of Fire [11/01/04] 

How would you have described Donna, because there seemed to be other sides to her than the money-motivated, low-on-morals front she showed?

She was quite a money-motivated, quite nasty character when she started. But I think at the end of the day I think she just fancied a bit of love that she didn’t seem to get from anywhere. She kind of rejects everybody and everything and just strives for her own high points. But I think nearer the end they decided to make her a little bit nicer. It's difficult when you have a nasty character to try and maintain the nastiness all the way through the series. It's like on "Coronation Street" or "EastEnders" the characters that come in nasty usually change to make the viewers like them more.

Donna was ultimately the person fans had been waiting to see since the previous season's close, and it being known a mystery fan in the crowd was given the club to own. It's safe to say nobody could have predicted it would be someone who wasn't particularly a fan of football (or the club at all) that would ultimately be the new owner. How did it feel to be given such a huge story from your first episode onwards?

It was great, it was always really action-packed I think. It was really interesting to work as a 'character' and having such great storylines all the way through, with there being constantly something new that they were coming up with.

Donna spent a lot of time with Clyde Connelly (Tim Smith), so much so the two ended up getting married which was written as a main story for the show's 300th episode! Which did you prefer, Donna with Clyde for the fun they had or Donna with Dean as they ultimately became owners together?

As a character, I thought it was nice for her to get one-up on the Boyles and for her to live this lavish lifestyle. As an actor it was nice to work with everyone really. I got on very well with Tim anyway, but also too with Michael, Cheryl and Alan. So any scenes we had we always had a laugh, it was always good when we were together.

Being that Karen and Donna were sisters and all that was seemingly destroyed in the Christmas episode with Tony, do you think they ever got back on track as it was ultimately left with them apart and unresolved?

Yes, yes I think so! Definitely I think she would have been forgiven. Donna would have come back crying and Karen was quite a motherly figure, so I'm sure there would have been some reconciliation. Obviously not with Dean but I could see Donna going to see Karen, and if she was stuck in a rut Karen helping her out.

It felt by the time Donna left that she'd transformed herself a bit, showing her best determination to be a good businesswoman (in the boardroom alongside Pilar (Marem Hassler) was good to see!) and realising her responsibility as chairwoman to do what was best for the club. Is it good to know the writers seemingly valued Donna to develop her as far they did?

It is. They did an excellent job, they really did. And Ellen Taylor, one of the producers, spoke to me when I was leaving and said "I'm so sad that Donna's going because I've had the most fun writing all of her lines. She's been a really fun character to write for." It was really great, they gave me a massive opportunity and I'm really grateful for that.

What a compliment! And after Dream Team you continued with work on stage, appearing in "Dealing" at the Camden Etcetera Theatre. What did that involve?

It was a play about children with ADHD, and how some of the kids were dealing prescription drugs to other children without the condition, due to it having the opposite effect on a child who did not have ADHD. I played another scouse girl, I was in fact the only girl, and it was set in a playground. There were only four of us in it, but it was a really nice piece to do.