8-across – One falters lamely, being so? : FRAILEST

9-across – Picaroon stops craving lucre, which is forgivable : VENIAL

10-across – Disapproved of skirt shortened by 1950s’ teenager : TUTTED

11-across – Broadcast publicity about horrible vacuous fools : AIRHEADS

12-across – Excited remark from man entertained by compilers : WHEE

13-across – Old Scottish side admitting wild riot in showers : EXHIBITORS

15-across – Daisy knocked over football team’s comic character : ASTERIX

16-across – Televises bits of rock by pair of players : SCREENS

18-across – Old garment from clothes shop with vulture’s tail feathers : HANDMEDOWN

19-across – Husband clad in green waves coming back : ECHO

20-across – Like irrational tirade for an ambitious type : ASPIRANT

22-across – Billionaire into S&M rejected seedy things : MELONS

23-across – Strip joint that’s sordid by street : DIVEST

24-across – Writer wearing nothing with cape is being revealing : OPENNESS

1-down – Skill in designing board game — piece on the board’s with it : DRAUGHTSMANSHIP

2-down – Assault school’s leader and punishment is to be reported : HITTHEHEADLINES

3-down – Engineers made oddly smooth info for IT user : READMEFILE

4-down – Specialist on staff cheers up, given facial adornment : ATTACHE

5-down – Fans removing clothing in part of game : OVER

6-down – During school, outcast turned up advanced means of deterring pests : INSECTREPELLENT

7-down – Involved in anarchism, need lingo of Communists : MANDARINCHINESE

14-down – Old issue, either of two in Marxism-Leninism? : BACKNUMBER

17-down – What follows 19 is to confuse revolutionary : FOXTROT

21-down – Perhaps pretentious political group out of power : ARTY

7-across – Boatman’s work may bear this : JACKFRUIT

8-across – Lemon crush, sometimes topped with water : MELON

9-across – Skill catching fish? It’s having good luck : FORTUNATE

10-across – Nothing wrong about … : OLIVE

12-across – … thoroughly cheeky crossword setting : LYCHEE

13-across – Seeds at Wimbledon are embar­rassingly volatile, but not lame­brain characters : RYEGRASS

16-across – Busted split up finally to produce electronic dance music : DUBSTEP

19-across – Here it is, in b*** downpour : BRITAIN

22-across – It’s intended to remind one of time shortly before Spirit Time : MONUMENT

25-across – It originates in gonads and might engage the egg : GAMETE

27-across – Penny apiece : PEACH

28-across – Stars Meg and Sarah naughtily snatch a kiss : HEXAGRAMS

29-across – Cycling comic Dave, missing start of ride : MANGO

30-across – Liverpool’s terminus follows a three-way interchange : ALTERNATE

1-down – Imitative play every other playroom day : PARODY

2-down – Turns boat east, overtaken by larger vessel : SKETCHES

3-down – Horrible ogre grabs unnamed girl : ORANGE

4-down – Fruit exchanged in the event! : FIXTURE

5-down – One who puts an oar in noisily : MEDLAR

6-down – One consumed by passions seen regularly after meat or sugar : LOAVES

11-down – The Listener goes under quietly : PEAR

14-down – See 17 : ANA

15-down – See 16 : SON

16-down – Wandering nomads : DAM

17-down – Suppress literary gossip : BAN

18-down – Solver reported on river vessel : EWER

20-down – River in Devon at its source : TAMARIND

21-down – Love the Lakes? Love one of the Moors : OTHELLO

23-down – Not allowing U-turns or a change in direction when reversing : ONEWAY

24-down – Naked guy, once eager and free : UNCAGE

25-down – Complains, replacing one with another one : GRAPES

26-down – Could be felt inside, as well : TOMATO

1-across – Shoddy stuff worn by unknown character : SHYLOCK

5-across – Craft for old dictator : PRODUCE

10-across – Kisser’s role reversal : TRAP

11-across – Delegate touring vale, heading north in a completely different direction : ATATANGENT

12-across – Channel bringing king into power : STREAM

13-across – Character in country backing line taken by a bishop : DIAGONAL

14-across – More than one business association defrauds character without capital : CONSORTIA

16-across – Character blown? : FLUTE

17-across – Character bowed? : VIOLA

19-across – Cook fish, part of which poked with end of skewer : CHARGRILL

23-across – South American city, it loves to entertain me : SAOPAULO

24-across – Cheeky character? : BOTTOM

26-across – Character, are metal nipples ___ ? : FORTINBRAS

27-across – Character put on ice? : PUCK

28-across – 1 or 2, perhaps, greeting endless jerks : INTEGER

29-across – Put down to a bed in empty space : ASCRIBE

2-down – Character in house share : HORATIO

3-down – Drinks for the audience is a mistake : LAPSE

4-down – Character in public ran me ragged : CRANMER

6-down – Character inspiring a former US actor : REAGAN

7-down – Note about orator’s garbled comments originally something for Spooner, say? : DOGCOLLAR

8-down – Reach agreement, Republican having withdrawn : CONTACT

9-down – Squeeze committee to produce mobile advertising : SANDWICHBOARD

15-down – Latest report not half contentious — explosive stuff! : SALTPETRE

18-down – American commercial turning up in Hanoi, embarrassingly : IDAHOAN

20-down – Problems with respect to public transport? : REBUSES

21-down – Feline in rage biting unfortunate child, nipper initially rolling over : LIONCUB

22-down – Fruity character? : QUINCE

25-down – Drunk concerned with vessel that’s tipped over : TOPER

8-across – Carelessly forget covering note — he’s for the high jump! : TREEFROG

9-across – Hesitates to dismiss original claims : AVERS

10-across – Old Charlie’s left behind bars : AGED

11-across – Stay here and be late, most unexpectedly : BATESMOTEL

12-across – Writing about previous measures seems suspicious : SMELLS

14-across – Throw in drink for writer : TROLLOPE

15-across – Put on a decent spread : ENACTED

17-across – Instinctively recognises northern types round town : INTUITS

20-across – Is no trouble suppressing demand for vegetable : SCALLION

22-across – Bloke Hearts picked up — their number 4 — is top scorer : MAHLER

23-across – 19, say, is low mark : UNDERSCORE

24-across – Activity on board — can money talk? : LUDO

25-across – Glower from revolutionary about to receive award : EMBER

26-across – Conservative sought election as democrat — that’s novel : CRANFORD

1-down – Fiery character with degree retained as old guide : DRAGOMAN

2-down – Unchaste woman’s under control outside : LEWD

3-down – Feels a little pretentious what the judges are wearing : PROBES

4-down – Trouble from a number of spect­ators : AGITATE

5-down – Money behind you, not outside : MASSNOUN

6-down – Old Bill turned up at empty school! It hurts to show efficiency? : BENOSLOUCH

7-down – When upset, flake out : ASLEEP

13-down – Race boldly run that’s closely contested : LOCALDERBY

16-down – Agent’s failure during dodgy year : EMISSARY

18-down – Fuss about arresting that man — him? : THEODORE

19-down – Home failing to accommodate Oscar or Bill : INVOICE

21-down – Caught on record in middle of America : CENTER

22-down – Female reveller, one in West End dropping a tab : MAENAD

24-down – Go climbing in one film : LIFE

1-across – Nicks and cuts around surgical procedures : COPSHOPS

5-across – Escort hugging Bill in darkness : SHADOW

9-across – A long time by checkout, prepared spaces for food : TILLAGES

10-across – Home party is private : INSIDE

12-across – One removes presence of army before raid in Germany : GHOSTBUSTER

15-across – Part of software licence that’s old : RELIC

17-across – Went with member — anger regularly taken out with roulette bet : PARTNERED

18-across – See 16 : SOCIALIST

19-across – Reduce large tripod : EASEL

20-across – One from the back training until team is knocked out : PENULTIMATE

24-across – Empty sauce bottles smell cleaner : SPONGE

25-across – Film lover can see it when released : CINEASTE

26-across – Broadcaster getting in hot water : SHOWER

27-across – For example, love to sit back with velvet cushions, ultimately puffed-up ones : EGOTISTS

1-down – Group mostly provide services with kinky orgies : CATEGORISE

2-down – Line at bottom of pad: brilliant material : PILLOWLACE

3-down – That man with talent to make love : HEART

4-down – Prince going over acts of carrying on; they’re taken for granted : PRESUMPTIONS

6-down – Handicap stakes around noon: placed at the back, having led : HINDRANCE

7-down – Wet duck crossing river : DRIP

8-down – Insignificant duke’s a weakling : WEED

11-down – Succeeded, Conservative with effective lying : STORYTELLING

13-down – Short hair on balls goes astray : TRESPASSES

14-down – Cheats read result out : ADULTERERS

16-down – Left one with money in last casino game? Chip lost : CHAMPAGNE

21-down – One hollow logo on the box : IDENT

22-down – Draws on American king-size cigarettes at last : USES

23-down – Strippers primarily round there? : SOHO