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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Will Twigger

Friends creator admits he loves controversial storyline that made fans squirm

It's been more than 15 years since the comedy sensation of Friends left our screens.

The show became iconic during its 10 series run, with the six pals - Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler and Joey - being etched into the public's memories.

Given its lengthy telly spell, though, it's hardly a surprise that the sitcom, which followed the lives of the New York-dwelling twenty somethings, did court controversy in some of its plotlines.

Toward the end of its run, show creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman opted to craft a romance that has fans tongue-wagging to this day.

That romance was between the womanising, endlessly flirtatious but very dim Joey, played by Top Gear's Matt LeBlanc, and Jennifer Aniston's Rachel Green.

Joey and Rachel found a spark, but David says it was never meant to last (NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

Rachel had a long romantic history with one of Joey's best mates, Ross, and had even given birth to his child in a previous season.

Even though Ross and Rachel's on again off again spark came to its natural conclusion (the got back together) by the series' close, Joey and Rachel's hookup stirred the pot at the time.

David, though, loves just how shocking the fans found it.

Joey, Rachel and Ross found themselves in an awkward situation (NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Matt was given a chance to show a different side to his acting (NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

He told Radio Times : "The Joey/Rachel thing I know is controversial. I love it.

"I love it because it's wrong. And we knew going in, 'This is wrong.' And that happens in life. There is the relationship that shouldn't be. Even though you love someone, that's not who you're going to be with."

He added that the story wasn't written solely for the shock factor, however.

The six became icons (NBC via Getty Images)

Matt featured in all 10 series, but had never before been given the chance to act in a more serious plotline - usually being the comic buffoon who chimed in when the tone needed lifting.

David said that the story gave Matt the chance to show "colours he hadn't gotten to play yet."

"Joey and Rachel, we always knew [it would end]," he continued, "She was pregnant with Ross's baby. We always know this was like...this was doomed, but in a hopefully really moving, interesting and compelling way."

Matt eventually landed a spinoff, titled Joey, in which it was revealed that Ross and Rachel had tied the knot after the events of Friends wrapped up.

They weren't the only couple - Matthew Perry's Chandler and Courtney Cox's Monica got married during the seventh series, and Lisa Kudrow's Phoebe married Mike, played by Paul Rudd.

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