The implosion of the Kyle and Jackie O radio partnership after 27 years has sent shockwaves through the radio industry and sparked a spectrum of feelings among insiders.

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I know because I have been in that world as part of a successful commercial radio duo.

While I've not managed a team of a dozen producers or signed multimillion-dollar contracts, I do know what it's like to do a morning show with someone who is genuinely your friend. For six years, I did a radio show with my best mate Josh on Hit104.7 and know the good and the bad of that kind of partnership.

Without ruining the illusion of your favourite radio show, the reality is that most duos or groups placed together are not as close as their cheery banter would have you believe. While we all have "work friends" we wouldn't necessarily consider friends outside of the office, the grand illusion of commercial radio is that you, the listener, are overhearing the banter of funny, entertaining mates. So successful is this ruse that people almost think it's a lie or a publicity stunt when they hear of radio duos falling out on or off air.

One of the reasons Kyle and Jackie O were so popular and couldn't be "cancelled" like many other shows is because they are genuinely friends. They have been a cohesive, unflappable unit - resilient to any efforts to pull them off air them for any of their many off-colour antics.

They have spent their weekends together, they were close to the same people. They would tell stories that felt incredibly personal because that was the reality of their relationship. It meant their audiences genuinely felt they were a part of the duo's lives.

The downside of that, which I too have experienced, is that problems that should be addressed between friends outside of work can bleed into the studio. Finding the line can be difficult, especially when the thing you trade on is the authenticity of your relationship.

And who's to say that bringing up a personal issue you have with someone you trust won't lead to a funny interaction? Ambushing a mate on air can be entertaining but - as Kyle now knows - you're also playing a very dangerous game. When you trust someone with your foibles and your insecurities, that being turned into live comedy can be devastating if it goes wrong.

Few people will understand the intense challenge of hosting a popular breakfast radio show. You're asked to be funny, creative and sharp from 5am. Your job is to push the envelope and stir emotions in your listeners, positive or negative.

Add to that the enormous stakes of being a $200 million duo, with the jobs of dozens of people and indeed a whole radio empire resting on you being entertaining, and it becomes clearer why this relationship is going out with such a big bang.

For me, and for many of my friends still working in the industry, a big question is what legacy will Kyle and Jackie O leave behind? They started their careers in a much more brutal time when it came to content. Part of what entertained people was shock. There was little thought or concern about the wellbeing of not only the listener but also the announcer.

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To say it worked for them would be putting it more than lightly. The show stands apart for the sheer amount of controversy it generated over the years and the amount they could get away with.

They had a mean streak, and millions of people enjoyed hearing them compare sizes of particular body parts, urination challenges and giving their unfiltered opinion on politics and legal issues that they themselves and others faced. That approach is something few radio hosts can successfully replicate for any length of time - and that approach to programming is certainly not something Josh and I ever aspired to.

For decades, Kyle and Jackie O tapped into a pleasure for their Sydney audience. They captured some very bizarre and at times reckless lightning in a bottle.

Despite some people's feelings toward them, they were good at what they did. They created a show that no one has been able to replicate, even if they wanted to.

They were the last of a breed of radio talent and a style long ago rejected by the masses.

Ned Breward is the co-host of The Ned & Josh Podcast

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