To casual observers, Wil Anderson is having an impressive year. Punching above the station average on the Triple M drive show with comedy partner Anthony Lehmann, hosting this year's hit television show, The Gruen Transfer and keeping busy on the stand-up circuit.

But behind the scenes he says it has been the worst year of his life. He won't go into details except to say the break-up with his girlfriend and the death of a very close friend have been contributing factors.

The point is, he says, Triple M has been his sanctuary. "It's been the worst year I've ever had by far so it has been a great pleasure to come into work to get my mind off those things. People say to me how do you go into work when you're going through such a bad time but it is the opposite. It would be hard to survive without work."

Anderson says he has managed to cry in every single office of Triple M around the country. Not quite the environment you'd expect for creating good comedy, but Lehmann seems unfazed by his emotional co-star. "Adelaide?" he prompts. "Did you cry in Adelaide?" "Yeah, did Adelaide," Anderson says.

Rather than sit behind a microphone, Anderson and Lehmann host the show standing up, leaning against a raised desk, with hands waving about. As stand-up comedians, they think better on their feet and it helps create the atmosphere of two good mates meeting up at a bar after work.

Their contracts are up at the end of the year. There's no doubt they will be offered another deal considering the Wil And Lehmo Show rates much higher than any other shift on the low-rating station.

The question is whether they'll be asked to take on the critical breakfast slot following the axing of The Shebang. Triple M executives need a strong breakfast show if the station is to reclaim a solid foothold in the market and keep Vega at bay.

Lehmann ticks off the reasons why they wouldn't want the job. "Drive is a dream gig. It's a national show. We have great flexibility and creative freedom. We don't have the pressures of breakfast. We can still do comedy gigs at night without the stress of having to get up at four the next morning."

But they stop short of completely ruling it out. "Breakfast is seen as prestigious because it is worth a lot more money," Anderson says. "If you are doing radio for money, it's your number one job. If we end up doing it, they must have offered us a shitload of money. How much is never having sex again worth? That's the figure."

Then more seriously: "The only appeal of doing breakfast is the opportunity. Some of the breakfast shows have been there a long time.

"There's an opportunity for a really good show."

Despite the success of The Gruen Factor this year, Anderson clearly prefers stand-up and radio to television. "Stand-up is my passion, the thing I care about most. The television is a job. I'm proud of what it does but it feels like a job. It's never fun. Radio is fun."

The Wil and Lehmo Show, Triple M, M-F, 4-6pm.