Friends creators reveal how ‘inside job’ almost ruined series finale

It's been 20 years since the storyline for the final episode of Friends was revealed to the world - but creators for the series have revealed the whole thing could have been ruined by an 'inside job'.

It was May 6, 2004 when Monica, Chandler, Rachel, Ross, Phoebe and Joey put down their keys and left Monica's flat in New York City, ready to go their separate ways.

The finale wrapped up 10 years of laughs, romances and drama and marked an end not only for the cast, but for the millions of fans who'd been with them every step of the way.

The episode featured a special request from the late Matthew Perry, while Paul Rudd remembers thinking "I shouldn't be here" when the show wrapped.

It was a big moment for Friends. But according to show creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane, their plans to keep the finale a secret were scuppered when parts of the script were leaked.

Speaking to Today, Crane recalled being 'incredibly nervous' because the writers 'so wanted to get it right'.

Kauffman added: “Oh my god, we tried so hard to keep it a secret. We were desperate to keep it a secret and it got out. And it was it was an inside job.”

Fans bid goodbye to the beloved cast after 10 years. (Warner Bros.)

The creators went on to explain that there were only a specific number of scripts sent out before the finale was revealed to the world, so the creators knew exactly how many people had access to the secret information.

As a result, Crane said things became like a 'behind-the-scenes detective show' as they attempted to figure out who was responsible.

The part of the script which was leaked featured a huge moment in the series - the moment when Rachel and Ross end up getting back together, once and for all.

It revealed the conclusion to a huge cliffhanger, and Crane made clear it was 'frustrating'.

The leak revealed Ross and Rachel's ending. (Warner Bros.)

But thankfully the finale did still have a lot of surprises in store, so the creators just had to get on with it.

"At the end of the day, what are you gonna do?" Crane said.

As for the mystery of who leaked the script? Well, when asked if they'd managed to solve that one, Kauffman replied: "Ish."

The creators didn't reveal any more than that, but thankfully whoever it was didn't manage to ruin the finale altogether, as it remains an iconic conclusion to the show to this day.

With 20 years now having passed since the finale, I'd say it's about time for a rewatch!

Topics: Friends, Film and TV

Emily Brown

Emily Brown is UNILAD Editorial Lead at LADbible Group. She first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route - before graduating with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University. Emily joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features. She went on to become Community Desk Lead, commissioning and writing human interest stories from across the globe, before moving to the role of Editorial Lead. Emily now works alongside the UNILAD Editor to ensure the page delivers accurate, interesting and high quality content.