Courteney Cox avoided Friends Central Perk pop-up store

Courteney Cox had a weird blast from the past during a pre-Christmas trip to New York when she found herself outside a pop-up cafe dedicated to her hit sitcom Friends.

The actress and her fiancee Johnny McDaid were heading to the site of the World Trade Center to visit the memorial to those who lost their lives during the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the Big Apple in 2001 when she spotted something familiar.

She explains, "There was a huge barricade put up and tons and tons of people were lined up around the corner and I was thinking, 'What is this? Is this a premiere or something?' I just looked up and it said: 'Central Perk Pop-Up Store'."

The cafe was created to resemble the hang-out from the hit show, and offered fans the chance to sit on the Friends sofa and even meet famous faces connected to the program, including The Rembrandts, who sang the theme song, and James Michael Tyler, who portrayed cafe boss Gunther.

But Cox didn't want to venture inside and spend the morning with devotees.

She adds, "There was (sic) just thousands of people going in to sit on the couch... and have pictures taken. And I was right there... I put my head down and said, 'Johnny, keep walking!'

"Monica just walked by and I don't think anybody cared."