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Justin Bieber's random appearance in Friends special dressed as a potato

After weeks of teasing, fans have finally learned why Justin Bieber was involved in the Friends reunion, and it's left many baffled.

Bella Fowler
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May 26, 2021 - 9:02AM
Friends: The cast highs and lows since the end of the show

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Friends: The Reunion.

Nearly two decades on from the finale and after months delays, rumours and teasers, the long-awaited Friends reunion has finally aired.

The cast of the hit '90s sitcom ventured back to the iconic set for the one-off special, taking an unscripted walk down memory lane to the delight of die hard fans.

Aptly titled The One Where They Get Back Together, the special - which is now streaming on Binge - has been met with some controversy, from the unusual choice to have James Corden host, to concerns for Matthew Perry's wellbeing.

For all the tear-jerking moments, surprise guests and never-before-heard behind the scenes titbits, check out our live recap of the episode below.

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Updates

There's not a dry eye in the room

Reflecting on their amazing years together, and vowing to continue catching up, all six are left in tears as they come to the end of the reunion.

… As are we watching along at home.

Surprise guests drop in

Cara Delevingne pops in modelling Rachel's ugly bridesmaid dress:

Cindy Crawford rocking Ross' tight leather pants:

And, bizarrely, Justin Bieber dressed in Ross' Spudnik potato costume:

Bieber's role in the reunion special in particular set tongues wagging on social media, with many wondering why he was chosen over former guests of the show such as Paul Rudd.

Massive bombshell revealed

Were there really no off-screen romances?

The actors had a pact not to hook up with each other during the show, which seemed very difficult to believe given they were all so close.

But much to the shock and delight of fans, there very nearly was an off-screen romance between the most iconic couple of the '90s.

A real life Ross and Rachel.

"The first season, I had a major crush on Jen," David Schwimmer revealed.

"It was reciprocated," Aniston responded.

"At one point we were both crushing hard on each other, but it was like ships passing because we were both in relationships when the other wasn't and we both really respected that," Schwimmer explained as Matt LeBlanc chimed in: "Bullsh*t"

Jennifer Aniston went on: "I remember saying to you (Schwimmer), 'it's going to be such a bummer if the first time we kiss is on national television'… And sure enough we did."

Reiterating that they never explored their connection off-screen, she added: "We just channeled all of our love and adoration for each other into Ross and Rachel."

Awww!

What ARE they feeding Smelly Cat?

Lisa Kudrow takes her position on the Central Perk couch to perform a rendition of Smelly Cat with a very special guest.

Lady Gaga!

Sitting down next to the actress, dressed in a striking pink and orange outfit Phoebe would have rocked, Gaga belts out the verses with her, with a gospel choir bursting through the door for back up vocals.

Iconic.

"I still think it's better with just me," Kudrow jokes at the end.

Gaga went on to thank her for being "the different one" on the show.

Psst, here's a closer look at that 'fit:

Matt LeBlanc's gruesome injury

It wasn't always smooth sailing on set.

While filming a scene where Joey jumps onto a chair during the episode The One Where No One Was Ready, LeBlanc fell on his shoulder, popping it out of its socket – a clip that was replayed during the special tonight to the shock of Aniston and Cox.

The creators had to write in Joey injuring himself while jumping on a bed to explain his sling going forward.

Recalling the accident, LeBlanc said it was the one time the stars didn't do a group huddle before the show.

From then on, they made sure never to forget to huddle again.

Was there anything about Friends the stars didn't like?

While each of the castmates have glowing recollections of their time on the show – and experiences with each other – both Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer did have one on-set nemesis.

Marcel the monkey.

"I love animals, I love primates, I have nothing against animals…," David Schwimmer begins.

"However, the monkey, obviously it was trained, it had to hit its mark and do its thing at the right time. (But) the monkey would mess up, so we'd have to keep having to reset and film the scene again."

He further recalled of his tense relationship with the monkey: "When the monkey was resting and waiting for us to roll, it would sit on my shoulder… eating live grubs. I'd have monkey grubby hands all over me."

"It was time for Marcel to f***k off!," he added to laughs from the audience.

Jennifer Aniston recalls meeting the cast

Describing their first interaction, Aniston said she remembers thinking: "This is the greatest group of people, the greatest script."

She went on to quit the show she was working on to join Friends instead.

"I went to the people working on the show I was on and said 'Please, release me from the show. I just love these people and I'm having so much fun.'"

She said the producer told her Friends "wouldn't make her a star."

Ha!

They still keep in touch... (or do they?)

Joining controversial host James Corden for the talk-back section of the special, the stars are asked how close they are to this day.

According to Lisa Kudrow, they text and call each other regularly.

But Matthew Perry, who has been the source of fan concern over the past couple of weeks due to his appearance in the promo clip, chimes in that he "doesn't hear from anyone."

Could it BE anymore awkward?

David Schwimmer had to be convinced with a gift basked

David Schwimmer very nearly turned the role of Ross Geller down, with the Friends creators having to go to great lengths to convince him to take the part, which was written with him in mind.

Martha Kaufmann and David Crane went on to say Lisa Kudrow "absolutely nailed" her audition and elevated the material. She was the second to be cast.

Apparently Matt LeBlanc had "eleven dollars" in his pocket when he showed up to casting.

He went on to tell the story of his audition, and how a night out drinking beforehand left him with a "huge chunk of meat" off his nose.

Table read provides incredible blast from the past

The six stars show just how seamlessly they can slip back into character during a table read of a past episode.

If you close your eyes, it's as though the very episode is actually playing…

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