Courteney Cox reveals she was blindsided when fiancé Johnny McDaid dumped her just one minute into a relationship therapy session

Friends star Courteney Cox has revealed Snow Patrol rocker Johnny McDaid dumped her one minute into their first therapy session which was aimed at trying to improve their relationship.

Courteney, 59, said although it caused her immense pain she is now thankful for her 47-year-old former fiancé's bravery - saying it has helped change her and their relationship for the better.

The couple got back together.

She told the Minnie Questions podcast: 'Johnny and I broke up five years ago. So three years in we broke up and it was really intense. We broke up in therapy.

'I didn't know it was coming. Whether I should have or not, it was just like we went to this therapist to talk about our boundaries - what we could and couldn't accept about each other.

Courteney Cox has revealed she was blindsided when she split from fiancé Johnny McDaid one minute into a relationship therapy session but she admitted she is grateful it happened - they are now back together (pictured in February) 

Courteney and Johnny seen a year before they broke up because Johnny was 'in a lot of pain in their relationship' - (pictured in 2018)- they have since reconciled 

'Instead, he just broke up within the first minute. And I was like "What?" And we were engaged. And I was so shocked, I was in so much pain, I also don't like surprises.

'And he's an incredible human being, so he wasn't trying to surprise. He was in that much pain in the relationship.

'There was that much that needed to be dealt with that he had to protect himself around his heart.

'So as opposed to like going "F*** him", getting in this mode of anger, I leant in and I did the most work on myself by far.'

She added: 'I learned how to reclaim my voice, boundaries, what were my motives in life - like what was my part in this.

'I'm so thankful for that break-up because a, when we got back together it was a different relationship, but also because it really taught me how I operated in the world - what were the things from my childhood that I needed.

'Whether it was to be adored by men. Things that I didn't know how to let go to be in a relationship. To not take things personally. My boundaries, I just went into myself and I had a great therapist.

Television icon! The actress catapulted to fame on the hit series Friends 

Exes: The actor was married David Arquette from 1999 to 2003 and they have a daughter, Coco together 

'I went to the same one. I kept seeing him, the one that we met on the break-up day. And it was brutal to go to his office after that for a while. But then it was great.

'And I'm really thankful a) nothing will ever hurt me that bad again, and b) most of all, most importantly, I completely changed.'

She added: 'It takes a lot of bravery to end something that has so much passion, or end anything.

'Any kind of relationship, it's so much easier just to stay and ride things out and make excuses. You know fear of pain is just too much to handle.

'But once you are bold enough to make decisions and go through the pain.

'You can't go around it, so just go through it and then when you do everything's easier.

'I'm thankful that Johnny was so bold and brave because it was life-changing for me, and I'm sure for him.'

The couple downgraded their relationship from engaged to just 'together' when they reunited, a regression that Cox conceded was 'strange'.

But in 2022, Cox said she wasn't opposed to marrying Johnny.

Cox was married to David Arquette from 1999 to 2003 and they have a daughter, Coco.