It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: the much-anticipated Friends reunion special is finally available to watch in the UK and some major bombshells about the classic sitcom that defined the 90s and early 00s have been revealed.
Not least that Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer – aka Rachel Green and Ross Geller, one of the most iconic TV couples of all time – actually fancied each other IRL.
Say WHAT?
Yep, Ross and Rachel were very nearly a real couple after sparks flew between Jennifer and David on set, but sadly the pair were always in other relationships and never able to make it work.
David explained, “The first season I had a major crush on Jen and at some point we were both crushing on each other, but it was like two ships passing because one of us was always in a relationship and we never crossed that boundary. We always respected that.”
Jen added, “I remember saying to David, ‘it’s going to be such a bummer if the first time you and I actually kiss is going to be on national television.’ Sure enough, first time we kissed was in that coffee shop.
“But we just channelled all our love and adoration for each other into Ross and Rachel.”
Excuse us for just a moment, because we are SHOOK.
CHECK OUT Friends: A-list stars you had no idea were in the show
Friends: A-list stars you had no idea were in the show (slider)
1 of 10Dakota Fanning - The One Who Gives Joey A Should To Cry On
She made the transition from precocious child star to A-lister years ago, but aged ten, Dakota Fanning played Mackenzie, a young girl who becomes Joey's confidante. She's all grown up now – and still a bit precocious.
2 of 10Steve Zahn - The One Who's Secretly Married To Phoebe
He's starred in Dallas Buyers Club and Modern Family, but before all that, Steve Zahn played the iconic role of Canadian ice dancer Duncan, Phoebe's secret gay husband, who she married to help get a green card.
3 of 10Rebecca Romijn - The One Who's Absolutely Filthy
Back in 1997, Rebecca Romijn was a model who got her first-ever acting gig on Friends. She played Cheryl, Ross' beautiful girlfriend with a filthy apartment. We reckon the X-Men and Ugly Betty star can now afford a cleaner.
4 of 10Alex Borstein - The One-Woman Show
"Why don't you like me?" That's the big question that Alex Borstein yells as she makes her debut fronting a one-woman show that opens with the line, "Chapter One: My First Period." These days, everyone likes Alex, who voices Family Guy matriarch Lois.
5 of 10Cole Sprouse - The One Who Calls Ross Dad
Cole Sprouse played Ross' son Ben years before he caused double-trouble with his brother Dylan on The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody. Yes, they grew up and got unnervingly attractive. Consider this, guys: Ben would now be 25.
6 of 10Ellen Pompeo - The One Who Ross And Chandler Fancied In College
She's one of the highest-paid actresses on TV. But before Grey's Anatomy, Ellen Pompeo played Missy Goldberg, Ross and Chandler's former classmate, who used to make out with Chandler in the science lab after hours. Dr Grey would be appalled.
7 of 10Dan Castellaneta - The One Who Knows Something About A Monkey
You will know Dan Castellaneta by his famous alter-ego Homer Simpson. But before he was rolling in "D'oh!" he appeared as a janitor at San Diego Zoo, who tells Ross what happened to his monkey, Marcel.
8 of 10Hank Azaria - The One Who Goes To Minsk
Proving that The Simpsons and Friends universes co-exist, here we have Hank Azaria, who's best known for playing every other character in Springfield, including Moe and Chief Wiggum. Hank played David, who breaks Phoebe's heart when he moves to Minsk.
9 of 10Mae Whitman - The One Who Just Wants To Sell Cookies
Her Arrested Development character Anne was memorably known for being forgettable – so it's fitting that we'd forgotten about Mae Whitman's star-turn as Sarah Tuttle, an adorable Brown Bird girl who breaks her leg selling cookies. Correction: Ross breaks her leg.
10 of 10Jane Lynch - The One Who Sells Monica and Chandler A House
Rumour has it that Jane Lynch auditioned for the role of Phoebe. Instead, she had to make do with the slightly less significant role of Ellen the estate agent. She later made her massive mark as Glee's tyrannical Sue Sylvester.
In case you were wondering, Jennifer was dating actor Tate Donovan (who went on to play Rachel’s crush Joshua) when the show began in 1994, and of course went on to marry Brad Pitt in 2000.
Meanwhile, David Schwimmer previously dated Natalie Imbruglia and actress Mili Avital after they starred in 1998 rom-com Kissing A Fool.
Oh, what could have been.
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Later in the reunion, there was sad news as Phoebe Buffay actress Lisa Kudrow dashed fans’ hopes of ever getting another episode of Friends.
She told host James Corden, “They ended the show very nicely. Everyone’s lives are very nice and they would have to unravel all those good things in order for there to be stories.
“I don’t want anyone's happy endings unravelled.”
Courteney Cox (Monica Geller) shared Lisa’s sentiment as she added, “This will be the last time we’re ever asked about the show as a group, we are not going to do this again in 15 more years. I’ll tell you one thing – we’re not waiting so long to have a dinner."
Sounds like we’re never going to find out what Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe have been up to over the years. SOB.