Shout to provide blanket for extremely deaf earl's sleeping partner (9)

I think it could be either:

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3,6

bedfellow

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'partner' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'shout to provide' is the wordplay.
'shout' becomes 'fellow' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'to' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other) (I've seen this in other clues).
'provide' becomes 'bed' (bedding is a kind of providing).
'fellow' put after 'bed' is 'BEDFELLOW'.

'blanket for extremely deaf earl's sleeping' acts as a link.
This may not be correct. Some or all of it may be part of another bit of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for bedfellow that I've seen before include "Partner (in the boudoir?)" , "Mate" , "Close associate or partner" , "Colleague" , "Person slept with" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.

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