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Showbiz
Harriet Brewis
May 20, 2021
Could Friends fans be anymore excited about the upcoming reunion?
The answer is surely no.
That said, soon after the first full trailer for the HBO special was finally released, people began taking issue with a key element of the show.
The programme will be hosted by James Corden despite the British star having no prior links to the much-loved series.
Posting a picture of notable celebrity cameos from the programme’s 10-year run, one Twitter user fumed: “All these people could’ve been a part of the friends reunion but Warner Bros chose Justin Bieber and James Corden.”
(Bieber will make a guest appearance on the sitcom, sporting Ross Geller’s ‘Spudnik’ potato costume from season eight.)
The flurry of complaints continued, as users channelled their fury towards Corden and suggested his presence had put them off watching the hotly-anticipated comeback:
So all these people couldve been a part of the friends reunion but Warner Bros chose Justin Bieber and James Corden😑 https://t.co/1YBdjP0Fcn— Alex ᱬ (@Alex ᱬ) 1621004141
@nbutler_art Why is he everywhere? He’s in wales. in your car. He’s in America? He wasn’t in friends. Go away James corden.— Phil Shelly Creative (@Phil Shelly Creative) 1621500318
Friends with reunion James Corden https://t.co/R6hWimlLVe— SHANE REACTION (@SHANE REACTION) 1621443254
I'd love to watch this but James Corden means it's a firm no from me https://t.co/7YrM7wQFGi— Meryl R (@Meryl R) 1621500068
And today in “James Corden Ruins Everything”, we have... https://t.co/5xlWjIv0bB— Art A. (Freelance Copywriter) // Americauthentic (@Art A. (Freelance Copywriter) // Americauthentic) 1621500045
So the friends reunion is going to include special guests... Justin Bieber and James Corden https://t.co/kCXbVfE5Oz— Path Lab Andrew (@Path Lab Andrew) 1620928096
I don't like the fact that James Corden hosted the #FriendsReunion. Could've chosen someone else who had a deeper c… https://t.co/81rhV6P36m— Varun (@Varun) 1621485261
Even more moderate commentators weren’t happy with the choice:
I don’t like seeing so much hate towards James Corden about the #FriendsReunion but I think it’s a bit of a bizarre… https://t.co/JGmazkVTgw— Kattoons by Kat 👩🎨 (@Kattoons by Kat 👩🎨) 1621500310
However, some were quick to spring to the presenter and comedian’s defence, insisting he was well qualified to conduct the cast interviews and that he didn’t deserve such acrimony:
@X_amiee_ @MirrorTV Been a big Friends fan since the beginning and have no issue with @JKCorden hosting the reunion… https://t.co/4nLgB1TZUL— kara’s space (@kara’s space) 1621500282
Okay here’s mine: I quite like James Corden.... 🤷♀️ Don’t understand why he gets such grief on here. https://t.co/CLHW5fygH9— Shar A (@Shar A) 1621499723
And others told the critics, bluntly, to move on:
Corden has yet to comment on the backlash, but we imagine he’s just wishing people would be a bit… friendlier.