| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | OFF THE RECORD | |
| Private – he put in effort changing line (3,3,6) | HE inside anagram of EFFORT + CORD | |
| 9 | CRAWL | |
| Some swimming enclosure that contains fish (5) | Double Definition | |
| 10 | VIRULENCE | |
| Rule broken ultimately in evil hostility (9) | [RULE + broke(N)] inside VICE | |
| 11 | ALERTS | |
| Retreating detachment from outpost relayed warnings (6) | outpoST RELAyed reversed | |
| 12 | EASY MARK | |
| Gull soiled my sea vessel (4,4) | Anagram of MY SEA + ARK | |
| 13 | DELISH | |
| Yummy food served stuffed by the Spanish (6) | DISH outside EL | |
| 15 | COME NEAR | |
| Approach company auditor about staff (4,4) | (CO + EAR) outside MEN | |
| 18 | PHRASING | |
| Harp retuned to make melody for musical arrangement (8) | Anagram of HARP + SING | |
| 19 | TENANT | |
| Section of camp making room for an occupant (6) | TENT outside AN | |
| 21 | REBELLED | |
| Attractive woman taken in by red rose (8) | BELLE inside RED | |
| 23 | TRAUMA | |
| Energy expended by amateur out of condition and suffering (6) | Anagram of AMATEUR minus E | |
| 26 | SERIALISE | |
| Retired show-off is brought in to view broadcast periodically (9) | [LAIR reversed + IS) inside SEE | |
| 27 | BADGE | |
| Identification may be no good, for example, when used the wrong way (5) | BAD + (EG reversed) | |
| 28 | USER-FRIENDLY | |
| Cooked fillets of redfin surely should be easy to handle? (4-8) | Anagram of REDFIN SURELY | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | ORCHARD | |
| Area set aside to grow fruit or vegetable (7) | OR + CHARD | |
| 2 | FRAME | |
| Celebrity in possession of right shape (5) | FAME outside R | |
| 3 | HALITOSIS | |
| Saintly Italian sister’s personal problem? (9) | HALO outside IT + SIS | |
| 4 | ROVE | |
| Wander across, right to the front (4) | OVER (with R moving to the front) | |
| 5 | CARDAMOM | |
| Comedian followed by a mother in the States – it’s spicy stuff (8) | CARD + A + MOM | |
| 6 | RALLY | |
| Exchanges in court get better (5) | Double Definition | |
| 7 | ON CAMERA | |
| New series of a romance is being filmed (2,6) | Anagram of A ROMANCE | |
| 8 | BEAKER | |
| Potassium nitrate’s back in exhibit’s glass jar (6) | [K + nitrat(E)] inside BEAR | |
| 14 | LYREBIRD | |
| Try leaving new production of terribly dry mimic (8) | Anagram of TERRIBLY DRY minus TRY | |
| 16 | EXECRABLE | |
| Board member runs competent offensive (9) | EXEC + R + ABLE | |
| 17 | INFERIOR | |
| Gather outside Brazilian resort strictly for the birds (8) | INFER outside RIO | |
| 18 | PURIST | |
| Stickler’s brother finally is jailed by state (6) | [brothe(R) + IS] inside PUT | |
| 20 | TRAGEDY | |
| Essay written about old catastrophe (7) | TRY outside AGED | |
| 22 | LOAFS | |
| Lady initially shifted sofa and lounges around (5) | (L)ady + anagram of SOFA | |
| 24 | UNDID | |
| Part of playground ideally should be opened (5) | playgroUND IDeally | |
| 25 | REAR | |
| Grow back (4) | Double Definition |
