A Friends unscripted special reunion is in the works

It’s believed that discussions are still at a very early stage – so fans eager for a trip to Central Perk should hold off celebrating, but it seems like the biggest hint yet that a reunion could be in the offing.

It’s also still unclear exactly what form any reunion would take – previous suggestions have included a movie, a Friends-themed sketch, a talk show reunion and a festive special.

• Letting go of Friends – why it's sometimes better to leave well enough alone

In October, Jennifer Aniston sparked talk of a reunion when she joined Instagram – and posted a selfie of her with the cast as her first photo on the platform.

And she fuelled further speculation with comments she made to Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show, claiming that the cast were “working on something” – although she remained tight-lipped about what exactly that entailed.

After airing its first episode 25 years ago Friends became a cultural phenomenon, launching its core cast of Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and Matthew Perry to super stardom.

And the sitcom has continued to find new audiences since it stopped airing in 2004, arriving on UK Netflix at the start of 2018.

In the years since the show ended there has been near constant talk of a possible reunion, with the stars asked about it frequently - so any reunion would be very big news indeed.