SOLUTION to Side by Side by eXternal

 Side by Side by eXternal - SOLUTION

Letters omitted in wordplay give KYLIE MINOGUE (leftmost letters) and JASON DONOVAN (rightmost letters) reading down the grid; letter pairs deleted from clues give ESPECIALLY FOR YOU, a song by the pair; AUSTRALIAN is changed to NEIGHBOURS, the programme in which the pair starred and which will have its final episode aired in August.

Letters are highlighted for reference.

Across

1 Female slave is following old boy around (7) O,LAD<,IS with K omitted

6 Pierre’s article on middle of your work unit (5) OU,LE with J omitted

10 Like thread of fiction involving knight (5) LI(N)E with Y omitted

11 Unknown one returned claw of prehistoric times (7) Z,I,NAIL< with A omitted

12 A love for indigo (4) A,NIL

13 Errant first daughter lives aimlessly (6) (FIRST,D)*

14 Once determined when well directed (8) AS,SO,LED with I omitted

16 River swimmer systematically crosses (6) hidden swimMER Systematically with E omitted

18 Express contempt about vacuous EastEnders retrospective (5) RE,ES< with N omitted

19 Islander at urinal’s a drunk (10) ATURINALSA*

21 Peers in Ayrshire pigpens (6) STIES with M omitted

23 That’s foul, rear of obscene yokel’s itched (6) YUCK,E with D omitted

25 Trump and English rogue not related (10) TRUMPANDE* with I omitted

27 Cockney has confidence and begins (5) ‘OPES with N omitted

28 Revolutionary is turning more malicious (6) RED,IS< with N omitted

31 Opposing another player alone, no netballer 

tackles (8) hidden alONE NO NEtballer with O omitted

33 Forming into circle, soldiers stand in wine cellar (6) OR,BIN with G omitted

34 A guide regularly used for Swiss canton (4) AgUiDe with V omitted

35 Strange item on Canadian rider (7) ITEMON* with U omitted

36 No longer adjudge money not British (5) BREAD-B with A omitted

37 Heartless wombat took apart caterpillar (5) WOAT* with E omitted

38 An earl too diminished becomes tougher (7) AN,E,ALS{o} with N omitted

Down

1 Band of light encircling head of most elevated learned man (6) H(M)ALO< with L omitted

2 Deserted, is swallow to move from perch? (7) D,IS,EAT with S omitted

3 Guests in land wash collections of possessions (4) {l}AN{d} {w}AS{h} with ES extra

4 Transparent material covering over fabrics (5) LEN(O)S

5 Tricky to hide large excursion (5) S(L)LY with A omitted

6 Rodent removing wings of feathered beasts (4) {b}IRD{s} with J omitted

7 Month encasing this mixture would make pillar (4) MONTH around OLI would make MONOLITH with O omitted

8 Behold! Thug’s leaped on layer made of wooden strips (6) LA,T,HEN with PE extra

9 Base carer raising son is guaranteed (7) E,NURSE with S raised with D omitted

13 Long-forgotten disorder in Midlands city that’s had fourth upgrade? (5) DERBY with B becoming A

15 Reached highest point looking sickly (6) double def

17 Rancid ragged undies not completely destroyed (6) R,UNDIE{s}* with CI extra

18 Slight luminance on Alsatian coats (4) S(L)UR

20 Lifted special metal sieve (4) S,MET< with AL extra

21 Costly clumsily crossing old mother’s blind spot (7) COST* around O,MA with LY extra

22 Stretch ancient clasp (5) SPAN with G omitted

24 Study dissecting slow climbing of sloths, maybe (7) DEN in LATE<

25 Mature women supporting forum group (6) GROUP*,W with FO extra

26 Studies mountain nymphs (6) READS with O omitted

28 Number of close encounters (5) hidden cloSE ENcounters with V omitted

29 That is interrupted by upcoming race season (5) I(RUN<)E

30 Lubricant’s cool temperature (4) IN,T with O omitted

31 Tory place above joint oddly overlooked by tax officer (4) jOiNt,TO with RY extra

32 Ancient buildings erode, appearing hideous (4) hidden erODE Appearing with OU extra