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Xword finished with the 8 changed letters and 7 thematic highlights. I momentarily thought that there was an ambiguity regarding my final letter change, but the BRB resolved that for me. Still puzzled by the 1st additional, but I needn't lose sleep over it.

..............nor do I understand why one of the key players is not 4 letters long - ho-hum.

Sorry, I'm just thick. Just solved that 1st clue and now have two 5 letter key players.

I'm hoping one of the 7 thematic words is a surname. Please can anybody confirm one way or another?

It isn't a surname.

I have a full grid and the two extras answers which go together idiomatically. But I’m completely stumped as to what to change in the grid or what thematic words to find. I’ve been trying to form examples of the first extra answer but that doesn’t seem to be it. I would appreciate a firm nudge in the right direction.

(I also don’t understand how 35d works- what is forty doing?)

Oddly - "Forty" in 35d refers to the answer to 40a.
You're on the right track in looking for the 7 thematic words....

Oddly, forty is (literally) a number. You might have expected it to be written as 40.

Good evening, all! I've enjoyed filling the grid and solving the two derived clues, but am now stumped. Please tell me if the theme is one of those "reality" (in fact, wholly artificial) TV shows, so that I can turn my attention to the rest of life. With thanks.

Durban - no, it isn't!