The highly-anticipated reunion of Friends is said to be on the backburner for the time being due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Last month it was confirmed that all six of the original cast members - Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Matt Le Blanc, Lisa Kudrow and Matthew Perry - had agreed to take part in a one-off unscripted programme to coincide with the launch of new streaming service HBO Max.

Filming for the special was due to take place on March 23 and 24 in Los Angeles but according to Deadline, production has now been suspended until "at least May" as the TV industry begins to shut down while the deadly disease spreads.

The publication adds that should filming go ahead in early May, the one-off episode could still premiere as planned at the end of that month.

The sitcom originally ran for 10 seasons between 1994 and 2004, culminating with a finale that was seen by more than 52m viewers in the US.