Author name: crosswordanswers

7-across – Protestants – and an anagram of Britney Spears : PRESBYTERIANS

9-across – German city in Saxony : LEIPZIG

10-across – Virtual assistant developed by Amazon : ALEXA

11-across – A type of metrical foot in poetry : IAMB

13-across – A martini that is shaken not stirred : BRADFORD

16-across – Private Eye cartoon character supposedly based on Derek Jameson : SIDYOBBO

18-across – 19th-century term for an opponent of absolute monarchism : WHIG

20-across – Claire __,star of Homeland : DANES

21-across – President of Sinn Féin since 2018 : MARYLOU

23-across – The opening sentence of Moby-Dick : CALLMEISHMAEL

1-down – Student of Plato and author of The Golden Ass : APULEIUS

2-down – Leader of the Conservative party since 2024 : KEMI

3-down – The third largest of the Balearic Islands : IBIZA

4-down – Resort city in Florida : ORLANDO

5-down – See 2 : BADENOCH

6-down – The largest continent : ASIA

8-down – The third animal in the Chinese Zodiac : TIGER

12-down – See 21 Across : MCDONALD

14-down – Charles __,French president 1959-1969 : DEGAULLE

15-down – Dame Edna Everage’s pet name for her audiences : POSSUMS

17-down – Carla’s nickname for J.D. in the sitcom Scrubs : BAMBI

19-down – Dave __,Nirvana drummer and later lead singer in the Foo Fighters : GROHL

20-down – : DOCK

22-down – Billy __,musical and film based on the novel by Keith Waterhouse : LIAR

5-across – BBC series starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal and based on the novel by 16/17 : NORMAL

6-across – See 5 : PEOPLE

8-across – Country bordered by Kenya and Rwanda : UGANDA

9-across – Polynesian island often the setting for Gauguin’s paintings : TAHITI

10-across – See 15 : ATKINSON

13-across – __ Shah Pahlavi,shah of Iran,1925-1941 : REZA

15-across – Author of Life After Life and A God in Ruins : KATE

16-across – Building and research university in Paris : SORBONNE

18-across – Dame Hilary _,author of Wolf Hall : MANTEL

20-across – Fictional pig created by Ian Falconer : OLIVIA

22-across – __ MacGregor,Jacobite leader : ROBROY

23-across – __ Ordinances – Cardinal Wolsey’s failed 1526 reform of the court of Henry VIII : ELTHAM

1-down – Alternative name for Calvary,where Jesus was crucified : GOLGOTHA

2-down – Country,capital Muscat : OMAN

3-down – Spanish national newspaper,based in Madrid : ELPAIS

4-down – Seducer and protagonist of The Fair Penitent by Nicholas Rowe : LOTHARIO

6-down – Alan __,South African author of Cry,the Beloved Country : PATON

7-down – __-et-Garonne,French department : LOT

11-down – The __,novel by Rick Moody and award-winning film by Ang Lee : ICESTORM

12-down – Newly recognised blue-green imaginary colour : OLO

14-down – Tanzanian archipelago in the Indian Ocean : ZANZIBAR

16-down – Author of Conversations with Friends : SALLY

17-down – See 16 : ROONEY

19-down – Nickname of Alassane Dramane Ouattara,president of Ivory Coast : ADO

21-down – Ninth letter of the Greek alphabet : IOTA

7-across – See 21 : WATER

8-across – Country officially known as the Republic of China : TAIWAN

9-across – Edith __,French singer who regretted nothing? : PIAF

10-across – Irish town named for its 3 over the River Boyne : DROGHEDA

11-across – 1972 musical starring Liza Minnelli : CABARET

14-across – 3 of __,2015 thriller starring Tom Hanks : SPIES

15-across – A deliberate bluff bid in 3 : PSYCH

17-across – Where Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood found love while looking at covered 3s? : MADISON

21-across – What Paul Simon’s 3 crossed? : TROUBLED

22-across – The Peruvian capital : LIMA

24-across – Raúl and Fidel __,former presidents of Cuba : CASTRO

25-across – On which William Holden,Alec Guinness,Jack Hawkins built a 3 in David Lean’s 1957 film : RIVER

1-down – See 25 Across : KWAI

2-down – Hebridean island west of Mull : STAFFA

3-down – Game at which Zia Mahmood excels : BRIDGE

4-down – The __,Harlequins rugby stadium : STOOP

5-down – Chess piece known as ‘fou’ in French and ‘Läufer’ in German : BISHOP

6-down – California city and naval base : SANDIEGO

12-down – The __,who,according to Byron,‘came down like the wolf on the fold’? : ASSYRIAN

13-down – Abbreviation for concert venue on London’s South Bank : RFH

14-down – Affliction also known as winter depression : SAD

16-down – See 17 Across : COUNTY

18-down – __ Celsius,18th century Swedish physicist : ANDERS

19-down – Shakespeare __,1998 romantic comedy starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes : INLOVE

20-down – T.S. __,author of The Waste Land : ELIOT

23-down – __ Magdalene,follower of Jesus : MARY

7-across – New Jersey city,home to New York’s third airport : NEWARK

8-across – Mrs Maisel,played by Rachel Brosnahan in the eponymous TV series : MIRIAM

9-across – Ancient Greek concept of conflict or struggle : AGON

10-across – See 16 Down : PREMIER

11-across – Country bordered by Israel and Syria : LEBANON

13-across – A dance,music and condiment associated with South America : SALSA

15-across – __ 1; US term for second tier sports competitions : MINOR

17-across – 1 of __; online game which includes Summoner’s Rift : LEGENDS

20-across – Horror novel by Bram Stoker : DRACULA

21-across – __ 1; international association formed in Cairo in 1945 by 11 and others : ARAB

22-across – __ Johnson,star of Daddio : DAKOTA

23-across – __ Allende,Chilean author of The House of the Spirits : ISABEL

1-down – See 19 : LEAGUE

2-down – __ Hall,secretary whom Oliver North caused to be at the centre of the Iran-Contra scandal : FAWN

3-down – North Yorkshire town said to be one of the happiest places in Britain : SKIPTON

4-down – __ Rudd,former home secretary : AMBER

5-down – Simon __,poet laureate : ARMITAGE

6-down – The second sign of the zodiac : TAURUS

12-down – Fruits sometimes called alligator pears : AVOCADOS

14-down – __ Trump,US first lady : MELANIA

16-down – __ 1; the world’s richest cricket competition : INDIAN

18-down – Don __,protagonist of the TV series Mad Men : DRAPER

19-down – The __,1980s synth-pop band whose hits include Don’t You Want Me : HUMAN

21-down – Drink distilled from grapes and aniseed and popular in 11 : ARAK

7-across – Nikita Mikhalkov Oscar-winning film set during the Soviet Union’s Great Purge : BURNTBYTHESUN

9-across – James __,author of Ulysses : JOYCE

10-across – Fictional barrister created by John Mortimer : RUMPOLE

11-across – Hit Netflix series starring Owen Cooper : ADOLESCENCE

14-across – Former England wicketkeeper known for his paintings and art gallery : JACKRUSSELL

18-across – Liz __ MP,Labour politician currently secretary of state for Work and Pensions : KENDALL

20-across – Sir __ Yacoub,cardiothoracic surgeon : MAGDI

21-across – 8 __,political satire by Armando Iannucci,set in the Soviet Union 1953 : DEATHOFSTALIN

1-down – The Nigerian capital : ABUJA

2-down – The Welsh name for Snowdon : YRWYDDFA

3-down – Divided Mediterranean island : CYPRUS

4-down – See 17 : CHAMBERS

5-down – One of the trade names of ExxonMobil : ESSO

6-down – Mountain range separating Argentina and Chile : ANDES

8-down – An art gallery in New York – or a police force in London? : THE

12-down – The lower house of the Indian parliament : LOKSABHA

13-down – Roman emperor also known as Gaius : CALIGULA

15-down – Tectonic __,geologic phenomenon found where tectonic plates meet : UPLIFT

16-down – Czech car brand,now owned by Volkswagen : SKODA

17-down – Cheers character played by Shelley Long : DIANE

19-down – Trevor __,South African comedian and former host of The Daily Show : NOAH

20-down – See 8 : MET