Interesting to hear NT1010's Jay Michaels on Tuesday admit that he would not feel comfortable working without someone else to "bounce off of," as he put it. He recounted his on-air history, and every gig he held in Toronto involved having someone else as a partner, specifically mentioning his days on Mad Dog and Billie. (He was Mad Dog.)

I've done both solo and worked with a co-host and I actually preferred the single gig. Unless the chemistry is just right, it's usually obvious to the audience that something just isn't quite clicking. It also leads to you talking over each other and in self-op stations, concerns over who gets their hands on the control board. 

In one case, I remember working with a guy (who will remain unnamed because he's still on the air in Ontario) and he was always ruining my semi-carefully constructed bits by destroying the listeners' imagination of what I alleged was taking place. Never knew why, but he wasn't making the station or the show better, which was the whole point of our being there. 

On the other hand, I once produced a show with a great host. I was never on air, but would feed him occasional lines as the program was in progress, which he was talented enough to instantly grasp and regurgitate to the audience. He made me part of the show and though the audience didn't hear me, it was like a well-oiled team. That made for a great few hours most nights.

Anyway, I wonder how many have walked that tightrope with a partner on air. Was it a good experience for you or would going it alone have been better?