50m say farewell to Friends.

AFTER 10 years and a string of awards, top sitcom Friends came to an emotional end in the United States early yesterday, watched by an audience expected to reach 50 million.

Fans in Britain will have to wait until the end of the month to see the last antics of Rachel, Ross,Joey,Chandler,Monica and Phoebe.

The cast members watched the final episode - which was filmed in January - together in Los Angeles.

After 236 episodes,in the poignant last scene, the Friends leave their keys to Chandler and Monica's apartment on the table before going to their favourite coffee shop,Central Perk,one last time.

The cast members admitted that the tears were real when they filmed the final scenes.

LeBlanc said: ``I think it was Lisa Kudrow that started to cry first.

``I looked at Jen and Courteney, and they were visibly upset. And then I looked at Schwimmer, who is kind of a rock emotionally.

``He's really the consummate professional. And David was visibly really upset. ..and I just lost it.

``And then all of us had to go back to make-up.''

Perry added: ``It was very difficult to shoot the last scene,because it was the end of something significant.'' He said the series, which became a hit in more than 100 countries, was ``comfort television'' for fans.

Friends proved a massive hit since its launch on September 22,1994.

The cast set fashion trends - ``The Rachel'' became a hair style in its own right.

And Friends catchphrases,and even mannerisms,became a part of popular culture.

The massive popularity of the show meant that the cast members have recently been able to command a reported million dollars an episode.

Now, the cast members, who have already branched out to take on different roles on stage and screen in recent years, will go their separate ways.