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

HBO Max release trailer for Friends: The Reunion

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:

[28 May 2021 20:07 · Clemence Michallon]

Personally, I’d want the “Aux Buttes Chaumont Jouets” poster from Monica’s apartment:

[28 May 2021 20:17 · Clemence Michallon]

This was such a heartwarming anecdote from Matthew Perry:

[28 May 2021 20:27 · Clemence Michallon]

Perhaps the Friends reunion has left you wanting to re-watch the show... In which case, you might find our ranking of every single episode of the sitcom quite helpful!

[28 May 2021 20:37 · Clemence Michallon]

How old are the stars of Friends now? How old were they on the show? All the answers are right here:

[28 May 2021 20:47 · Clemence Michallon]

Here’s our review of the reunion special, which our writer Adam White has deemed “more wistful than ghoulish”.

[28 May 2021 21:02 · Clemence Michallon]

A few days before the special aired, Matthew Perry shared this picture of himself in a T-shirt bearing the message: “Could I BE any more vaccinated?”

[28 May 2021 21:12 · Clemence Michallon]

Which character earned the most money on Friends? A recruitment company decided to shed some light on the matter:

[28 May 2021 22:02 · Clemence Michallon]

Here’s how to watch the reunion special in the UK:

[28 May 2021 22:15 · Clemence Michallon]

And this concludes our live coverage of the Friends reunion. Thank you for following along!

[28 May 2021 22:15 · Clemence Michallon]