Friends reunion special air date and celebrity guests confirmed

The highly-anticipated Friends reunion has finally been given a release date - and it's so much closer than we thought!

The Friends cast first confirmed in 2020 that the hit series would return more than 15 years after the final episode aired in 2004, but the coronavirus pandemic put a slight spanner in the works.

But it seems the wait is finally over with HBO Max confirming the reunion will officially air on May 27. That would be May 28 in Australia, with BINGE or Foxtel the likely streamers for Aussie viewers.

A teaser video shared on social media showed the six original cast members – Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer – walking arm-in-arm across a studio lot.

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The video was accompanied by a down-tempo version of the US sitcom’s theme, 'I’ll Be There for You' by The Rembrandts.

The title was then revealed as 'The One Where They Get Back Together'.

We knew a release date was close when Matthew Perry caused chaos among Friends fans after he posted a photo of himself in the makeup chair with a deeply intriguing caption.

"Seconds before eating a makeup brush," he joked in April. "Not to mention reuniting with my Friends."

Now, Courteney Cox, who played Monica Geller, shared on Instagram: “This kind of thing doesn’t happen every year, or even every 10, or 15 years. I feel so blessed to have had a chance to reunite with my Friends… and it was better than ever.”

“Finally! Had a blast with the cast and a solid nap with LeBlanc,” said David Schwimmer, who played palaeontologist Ross Geller.

Jennifer Aniston, best known as Rachel Green, said: “It’s official! The #FriendsReunion premieres May 27th on @HBOMax — could we BE any more excited?!”

“So great to see you everyone,” wrote Matt LeBlanc, who played hapless actor Joey Tribbiani.

In addition to the original cast, Friends: The Reunion — directed by Ben Winston — will also feature a variety of all-star guests.

The list includes David Beckham, Justin Bieber, BTS, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Elliott Gould, Kit Harington, Larry Hankin, Mindy Kaling, Thomas Lennon, Christina Pickles, Tom Selleck, James Michael Tyler, Maggie Wheeler, Reese Witherspoon and Malala Yousafzai.

Friends ran for 10 series from 1994 and remains one of the most popular shows on TV.

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