Friends Reunion: Lisa Kudrow shares what fans can expect and which guest star floored her

UK viewers will be able to watch the special at the same time as the US broadcast

Lisa Kudrow has revealed what fans can expect from theFriends reunion special – and which guest star shocked her.

The actor – who portrayed the eccentric Phoebe Buffay throughout the series – was speaking ahead of the highly anticipated special due to air next Thursday (27 May).

Friends: The Reunion will see the stars of the hit sitcom get back together for a one-off instalment. The cast members will not appear in character.

“It’s completely unscripted,” Kudrow told The New York Post. “It’s us seeing each other and they rebuilt the sets on [the show’s original Warner Bros soundstage] Stage 24. It’s done really well, too. But it’s us, and also just cutting around – there are clips and things.”

The core cast will reunite on a number of iconic Friends sets that have been rebuilt for the purpose of the special, including the Central Perk coffee shop, Monica and Rachel’s purple apartment, as well as Joey and Chandler’s bachelor pad.

Included in the clips that will be broadcast during the special are home videos never before seen by the cast, revealed Kudrow.

“It turns out [a crew member] was taking home movies that I didn’t know about, and that was brilliant. There’s so much great stuff,” said the actor.

Speaking about the star-studded list of guest stars who will be joining the special – including David Beckham, Mindy Kaling, Malala Yousafzai, Lady Gaga, James Corden and BTS – Kudrow singled out the one celebrity she was particularly shocked to see.

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc (YouTube/HBO Max)

“I was like, ‘Wait, that’s Justin Bieber, right? Would he be here? Is he here? He’s really here – that’s Justin Bieber!’ recalled Kudrow.

“That was kind of exciting. I’m throwing in a ‘kind of’ so that I seem a little cooler. It was exciting. I don’t get excited about meeting people – but Justin Bieber, he’s exciting.”

It was recently announced that UK viewers will be able to stream the special on NOW from 8am BST on 27 May, the exact same time it will be released in the US on HBO Max.

Friends: The Reunion will also be broadcast on Sky One on 27 May at the local time of 8pm BST.