Our hero must be revealed by shading six cells appropriately. Four unclued lights are key words in 11s featuring the hero. Remaining unclued lights (including one of three words) each need shading appropriately to produce four further 11s (minus definite articles), each one connected to one of the previous 11s. Unchecked and cross-checking letters in unclued entries could make A DEAR CONFESSOR WIN.
 

 Across

 
1    Band during live heavy metal add trimming (8)
10    Cooked au gratin, sour starters (12)
11    Heading from Thailand wearing hat (5)
13    Indian’s penning most of ancient languages (7)
16    Females getting implants (4)
17    Correct pieces put in base, see? (8)
21    Low-fat animal, one for scholars (8)
23    In verse, celebrate writer reaching zenith, breaking open hamper (7)
28    Dress up screening film that’s still 12? (7, hyphened)
29    Scots hie excitedly to find Celtic nobles (8)
34    Source of music in car given constant scorn at first (8)
35    Friend one embraced in soul (4)
36    European Latin’s receding charm for New Yorker (6)
38    Is artist heading west in deserts? (7)
39    Hungarian traveller advanced north after change of direction (5)
40    Instruct a cab to travel in almost polar regions (12)
41    Crafty old journalist’s inflamed back (6)
42    Tribesman longing to stop ex-VP wasting year (8)
 

Down

 
1    Problem with fruit drink’s grave (9, hyphened)
2    Girl’s lunch is thrown up (4)
3    Game Heather’s on top (6)
4    Old African sister admits tendency to drop back (6)
5    Chewy bits of corn with French seasoning sent back (8)
6    Local swells hiding during quiet Sabbath (7)
8    The Spectator’s head backing, we’re told, Lavatch wordplay? (10)
9    Poet’s vessel’s in the way in Shanghai (5)
12    Electronic instrument runs down in 3 minutes (8)
14    English journalist keeping male bird confined (7)
19    Women are, say, returning cycle, taking a risk (8)
20    Boat circles reef with stern going forward (7)
24    Mishap to upset mature student? (8)
30    Wise remarks about blocking financier (6)
31    Putin’s agreement about weakness in intelligence (6)
32    Fiddle around in game (5)
33    Stunner from NZ only drinks running water (5)
37    Idle American cracks open booze (4)
 
A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 5 December. There are two runners-up prizes of £20 (or, for UK solvers, the latest edition of The Chambers Dictionary — ring the word ‘Dictionary’). Entries to: Crossword 2140, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery.