joked that it was probably because Jacob's blood pressure was just starting to rise. Venn also explained that both Jacob and Sam want their relationship to work, and they enjoy keeping it a secret, but it soon becomes a problem as Blake grows closer to Sam. When Sam dies, Jacob "has some emotional moments" as he deals with his grief and comes to terms with her death. He also has to support Blake, who developed a crush on her. Mother Further exploration of the character's background began in September 2018, upon the introduction of his mother Omo Masters, played by Ellen Thomas. Sophie Dainty of Digital Spy said Jacob has a "complicated past" and series producer Lucy Raffety commented that mother and son would not have "a happy family reunion". Blake meets up with Omo for the day, but when she becomes agitated, Blake is forced to call an ambulance and she is admitted to the ED. Jacob is "stunned" to see his mother, as they have been estranged for several years, and he tells Elle that Omo suffers from schizophrenia. Omo becomes further distressed when the voices in her head grow louder, and Jacob and Elle soon find her standing in the middle of the ED, having pulled out her cannula. Reception For his portrayal of Jacob, Venn won the Favourite Male TV Personality accolade at the 2016 Screen Nation Film and Television Awards. He was also longlisted for Best Newcomer at the 21st National Television Awards. Alison Graham of the Radio Times had a mixed response to the character. Following his debut, she branded him "a cocky narcissist". In a later review, Graham dubbed him "the hunky new nurse", whose "inability to find a shirt" had attracted attention from his female colleagues. Graham thought Jacob was "an insufferable know-it-all" and hoped he would have "a spectacular fall from grace very soon". Holly Wade, writing for the same publication, said "Senior Staff Nurse Jacob has ruffled feathers since he joined the ED a few weeks ago. He's impulsive and bossy but nonetheless pretty impressive." Inside Soap'''s Allison Jones called him "no-nonsense" and thought he would be "a controversial character". She also thought that he would make a big impression on the ED, like Venn's EastEnders character Ray Dixon did on Albert Square. Elaine Reilly from What's on TV wrote, "When Jacob first joined the team he was cocky in