Thursday 18 June

Across

5 Frank discussions in a trade-off digested (7) 9 Clue about bulb, essentially? (5) 10 A few missing artist in essence, US president (9) 11 See Yorkshire flower near Sheff U v Sheff W, say (5,5) 12/24 Last of ham we taste mixed up – in this? (4,4) 14 Land idols in trouble? (5,6) 18 US actress, how might she cause a stir in speech? (11) 21 Groovy chassis on a jalopy (4) 22 Sense of outrageous theatre initially dressing Australian in drag (10) 25 Boy in Blue artist … (9) 26/1 … gets quarter (12) 27 Team getting stuffed in flop, I give up! (5,2) 28 Close, as Mexican dog in East London? (7)

Down

1 Pluck item from the wine rack? (6) 2 Survivor brightened up again having caught cold (6) 3 Rough tongue in nude rogue (10) 4/23 Western Samoa discontented here with poor supply (5,5) 5 Animated solver’s clue? (6,3) 6 Christmas movie cut, cut for Christmas! (4) 7 Hawker steals present from that place (8) 8 A cap in use tilted badly, level up (8) 13 That said in support of stinker, describing nicer comic 23 down (6,4) 15 Chance gone, lots being wasted? (6,3) 16 Expression of embarrassment while burying head in whelk shell (2,6) 17 Riddle from Sphinx’s first teacher (8) 19 Little bird in leak (6) 20 Force once applied to opening in sink blockage (6)