Friends fans STUNNED to learn Monica and Chandler nearly didn't end up together 😱
Plus THAT revelation about Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer...
Last updated 28th May 2021
Well... What a WHIRLWIND the Friends Reunion turned out to be! Although fans knew to expect laughs, nostalgia and a whole host of familiar faces, we did NOT expect to be finding out as much goss as we did!
After airing on Sky One last night, UK fans have finally caught up with the Friends Reunion, which was pushed back due to the pandemic, and were in SHOCK to discover that Chandler and Monica very nearly didn't end up together.
Show creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane explained that the crew would always stop to rewrite a line if they felt it hadn't quite landed right with the studio audience, if they didn't laugh as much at a joke - but they would also be watching to see how plot reveals went down.
One particular storyline that was heavily influenced by the audience's reaction was Chandler and Monica's relationship. Fans will remember that the pair had a fling while in London for Ross' wedding to Emily (NOT Rachel!) - and the studio audience loved it so much, that the writers decided to change their relationship from a fling to eventual marriage!
Another huge bombshell to come out of the Reunion was the news about a crush between David Schwimmer (Ross Geller) and Jennifer Aniston (Rachel Green) on the set. We all know Ross and Rachel's relationship ended happily, but it wasn't to be for their real-life counterparts.
When host James Corden asked whether there'd ever been any romance between anyone on the set, Jennifer and David shared a look and explained that they'd both fancied the pants off each other during the first season - but that it never worked out as they'd both been in relationships with other people at different times.
David explained that they'd been like "ships passing in the night" and so it had never happened, as Courteney commented that it was probably a good thing as it could have ruined the show if things hadn't worked out.
See all the celebrity cameos you missed on Friends:
Janine, aka Elle Macpherson
Joey's Australian dancer roommate who is the real reason we got to witness Ross and Monica perform 'The Routine'.
Philip Schofield?!
Phillip Schofield shocked This Morning viewers by admitting he'd been on Friends, well, kinda. He's a superfan of the show, and so he actually went along to a viewing of Friends in the 90s.
His laugh can be heard in a scene between Jennifer Aniston's Rachel and Matt Le Blanc's Joey in series three.
He said: 'I have actually been on Friends. I've been in an episode of Friends. The one where they keep the scary books in the fridge. When I say I was on Friends... my laugh was on Friends.'
Sandy, aka Freddie Prinze Jr.
The male nanny who Ross had an uncomfortable, definitely not okay, problem with.
Melissa Warburton, aka Winona Ryder
Remember the big kiss? The one that Rachel apparently had in college with Melissa but no one believes her? That was with Winona.
Ben, aka Cole Sprouse
Ross's son with Carol was not in the show anywhere near as frequently as he should have been. But the episode where Rachel teaches him how to pull pranks is gold.
Ralph Lauren, aka Ralph Lauren
Kind of makes sense to have the real life fashion person referred to in Rachel's TV world job, played by the real life person.
Susie Moss, aka Julia Roberts
Susie stole Chandler's clothes after having him undress in a cubicle in some restaurant toilets as revenge for teasing and pulling up her skirt when they were at school.
Officer Goodbody, aka Danny Devito
Phoebe's last minute stripper for her bachelorette party was a fantastic dancer, and I won't hear otherwise.
Dr. Michael Mitchell, aka George Clooney
Meet hot doctor number one who somehow finds himself in the middle of Rachel and Monica's identity swap after Monica loses her health insurance.
Jamie, aka Helen Hunt
Helen popped up way back in the first season to give Friends a weird cross over into the Mad About You world. She tries to order coffee from Phoebe. It's a bit awks.
Cousin Cassie, aka Denise Richards
Ah cousin Cassie Gellar. A relative who comes to stay with Monica but is oogled at a bit too much by Chandler so then goes to stay with Ross and has a weird moment over there too.
Andrea Waltham, aka Jennifer Saunders
What a role, eh? Andrea played mother to Emily (Ross's wife who's name he did not say at the alter) and answers the phone to poor pregnant Phoebe who wasn't able to fly to London for the wedding.
Tim and Tomas, aka Billy Crystal and Robin Williams
The award for the most out of nowhere cameo probably goes to these two guys who sat on the gang's sofa in the coffee house. Robin's character thinks his wife is cheating on him and for such an impromptu skit, it's pretty funny.
Will Colbert, aka Brad Pitt
Aka co-president of the 'I Hate Rachel' club and lover of Thanksgiving food.
Paul Stevens, aka Bruce Willis
Paul is dating Rachel after she breaks up with Ross who is dating Paul's daughter Elizabeth. It's one of the best awkward relationship squares that I can think of and that pep-talk moment in the mirror is A-grade brilliance.
Richard Crosby, aka Gary Oldman
If you thought the guy who plays opposite Joey in a film then here's why. There's an awkward joke about an Oscar that he hasn't won (in real life and on the show).
Leonard Hayes, aka Jeff Goldblum
Leonard/Jeff ends up getting peed on by Joey while congratulating him for a great audition, and I think we'll leave it there.
Erica Ford, aka Brooke Shields
Yep, Joey's creepy Days Of Our Lives stalker is played by the Brooke Shields.
Zack, aka John Stamos
To jog your memory, Zack is someone Monica and Chandler want as a sperm donor - they just don't tell him this!
Amy Green, aka Christina Applegate
Here we have one of the Green sisters. We only meet Amy twice, and she has a real issue with getting Rachel's daughter Emma's name right.
Jill Green, aka Reese Witherspoon
And here we have the other Green sister. She's Rachel's younger sister who comes to find her in the city hoping to start a new life like Rachel did but, well, doesn't. We think dating Ross to spite Rachel might have had a little something to do with it...
Tommy, aka Ben Stiller
Remember Tommy the screamer?
Erica, aka Anna Faris
Fun fact, Monica and Chandler's baby girl (one of the twins they adopted from Erica) would be about 17 now.
Ryan, aka Charlie Sheen
Ryan, one of Phoebe's old flames, comes into town for a couple of weeks and hangs around even though Phoebe has the chicken pox. I suppose you could say it's kind of sweet.
Kristen, aka Gabrielle Union
Kristen is one of the many women that Joey and Ross bicker over. She appears in The One With The Cheap Wedding Dress (when the girls go to that crazy discount store to help Monica find her dress) and ultimately choses to date neither of them.
Wendy, aka Selma Blair
Miss Oklahoma runner up and causer of Christmas friction between Chandler and Monica.
Jessica Lockhart, aka Susan Sarandon
We really hope no one took Jessica's screen kissing tips seriously. She's one of Joey's Days of Our Lives co-stars who is involved in that weird brain swap scenario.
Mackenzie, aka Dakota Fanning
Nine-year-old Dakota Fanning played the little girl who chats to Joey when he's taken by Chandler and Monica to visit a house out in the suburbs. Neither of them wanted the sale to happen so they bonded.
Guy on plane, aka Hugh Laurie
Let's have a moment for the unfortunate, nameless guy who has to sit next to Rachel on the flight from New York to London when she's adamant about telling Ross how she feels.
The Friends Reunion is available to stream on NOW TV.