Friends reunion – as it happened: How to watch, reactions, best moments and all the latest on HBO Max special
Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Matthew Perry reunited for the first time in front of TV cameras
The Friends reunion has finally been released. Could we be anymore excited?
The long-awaited programme debuted on 27 May on HBO Max in the US, with UK viewers able to stream it on NOW. The special, titled Friends: The Reunion, also aired on Sky One.
Originally announced in 2020, the special was extensively delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Taping took place in April on the original Friends soundstage at the Warner Bros Studio lot in Burbank, California.
The show, which was hosted by James Corden, marked the first time all six original stars – Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Matthew Perry – reunited in front of television cameras.
A number of revelations were made during the episode including that David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston were “crushing” on each other during filming.
Mysteries were solved, such as the one surrounding the overhead beam in Monica’s apartment that suddenly disappears without explanation at some point in the series.
A host of guest stars joined in too, including a special duet performance of “Smelly Cat” by Lady Gaga and Kudrow. Reese Witherspoon, David Beckham, Justin Bieber, and BTS also made appearances, alongside Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Kit Harington, Mindy Kaling, and Malala Yousafzai.
Follow the release of the reunion special as it happened with our live blog:
Are you still trying to wrap your brain around all the information unveiled in the reunion? Here’s a recap of the best reveals:
Everything we learnt in the Friends reunion
Did you know Matthew Perry was the youngest cast member on Friends, while Lisa Kudrow was the oldest?
How old were the cast and characters in Friends?
The reunion has, inevitably, received a completely varied reaction; from delighted fans seeing their old friends reunited to those wondering - was it really necessary?
Here’s The Independent’s review on the HBO Max special:
The Friends reunion is pointless and occasionally eerie, but for the most part a total joy – review
It’s not just the iconic six you’ll see in Friends: The Reunion. There’s a whole host of celebrity guest stars appearing, from Lady Gaga singing Smelly Cat to Justin Bieber modelling that potato costume (sorry, Spudnik).
Here’s the full list:
Friends reunion adds surprise guest stars including Lady Gaga
One question you might be wondering as you revisit Central Perk, the purple apartment and the fountain is - where actually was Friends filmed? (And no, it was not in New York City)...
One of the more unlikely - but fantastic - guest stars was Malala Yousafzai. The 23-year-old activist appeared on the special with her friend, Vee, who she says got her into Friends.
People are loving Cindy Crawford modelling Ross's leather pants in Friends reunion
Ross Geller’s infamous leather pants have made a return in the Friends reunion, where they were modelled byCindy Crawford to the joy of viewers.
The leather pants were worn by David Schwimmer in a memorable season five episode of the sitcom, which saw the paleontologist unable to get the tight trousers back on after briefly removing them during a date.
Chelsea Ritschel has more.
Friends reunion viewers are obsessed with Cindy Crawford and Ross’ leather pants
Friends: 10 times the classic sitcom was problematic
If you’re a millennial, you probably binge-watchedFriends growing up (or later on via Netflix). Perhaps it was a sign of the times or a lack of self-awareness on the part of the writers, but many of the storylines, situations and characters onFriends were problematic.
Ilana Kaplan has the story.
Piers Morgan takes swipe at ‘overrated’ Friends
The former Good Morning Britain presenter took to Twitter to slam the comedy after his son had encouraged people to watch it.
“Friends isn’t funny. Never has been, never will be. Most overrated show in TV history,” tweeted Morgan.
Cara Delevigne posts picture from Friends Reunion set
The model joined Justin Bieber and Cindy Crawford in a mini fashion show for the TV special, and wore Rachel’s puffy pink bridesmaid dress.
The Carnival Row actress posed a picture of her posing with the six Friends stars on the Central Perk couch.
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