Across:
8 A problem for the princess (“Princess and the Pea” = PE-A) taking in actor’s workplace (-SET-) (PESETA) in old European capital (PESETA),
9 A (A-) lounge (lounge = N-LOGUE) designed (= anagram indicator) around leading alehouse (leading ‘Alehouse’ = -A-) (ANALOGUE) is something to compare to another (ANALOGUE),
10 Have one’s heart set on (ENVY) responsively releasing spoilers (‘responsively ‘ releasing ‘spoilers’ = envy = ENVY),
11 Lost mate (GOT THE PUSH) of Goethe (Goethe) replaced foremost editor (foremost ‘Editor = ‘e’) for the leader (‘The’ leader = ‘t’) (‘goEthe’ – replace ‘e’ with ‘t’ = goTthe = GOT THE) going to press (press = PUSH) (GOT THE PUSH),
12 Whipped (BEATEN) Béchamel starter (‘Béchamel’ starter = B-) is gobbled up! (-EATEN) (BEATEN),
14 Source (start) scratching head (s) (‘start’ = TART-) in front of (= position indicator) judge (-RATE) (TARTRATE) in compound (TARTRATE),
15 Reasonable set of beliefs (INTELLECTUALISM) produced by egghead without any emotion (INTELLECTUALISM),
18 Graduate (BA) returns (= reverse indicator) (BA = AB-) school (-S-) paper (-TRACT) (ABSTRACT) to academic type (ABSTRACT),
20 Caught (C-) wedding band (ring = -R-ING) around end of May (end of ‘maY’ = -Y-) (CRYING) performing The Waterworks (CRYING),
22 Conservative (STRICT) from The House (The House/Assembly = DIET) (STRICT DIET) only appeals to those who want to be the best losers (STRICT DIET),
24 It’s hot (WARM) you say? When someone’s close to finding hiding-and-go-seek champion! (you say “WARM”),
25 Political initiative (DEMARCHE) in Germany (Germany domain = .de = DE-) by revolutionary (-CHE) following (= position indicator) march (March = -MAR-) (DEMARCHE),
26 Affects the hearing (EARWAX) of listener (EAR-) from Washington? (-WA-) Wrong! (wrong mark = -X) (EARWAX).
Down:
1 One of those calling for spirits (SÉANCE) is entertaining the latecomers? (SÉANCE),
2 Refuse to admit (DENY) what’s concealed by the downtrodden youths (what’s concealed by the ‘downtrodDEN Youths’ = DENY),
3 Soldier (-GI-) picking up (= reverse indicator) article (an = -NA-) in The Rock (marl = MAR-L) (MARGINAL) on the edge (MARGINAL),
4 Drop a line (CAST) to the players (CAST),
5 Sailor (tar) retires (= reversal indicator) (tar = RAT-) with that woman (-HER) (RATHER) to some degree (RATHER),
6 Type of jersey (Jersey COW) associated with Herb (PARSLEY) (COW PARSLEY) – the one in the plot that’s wild (COW PARSLEY),
7 US staple (US staple) cooked (= anagram indicator) (US staple = PULSATES) in drums (PULSATES),
13 Stage (THEATRICAL) of decomposed (= anagram indicator) cattle hair (cattle hair = THEATRICAL),
14 Understood (TACIT) by fantastic missing fans (‘fantastic’ missing ‘fans’ = tatic = TACIT),
16 Happy to help (NO BOTHER) with one broth (one broth) soup (= anagram indicator) (one broth = NO BOTHER),
17 It doesn’t describe Nick (UNCUT) and Margaret (Meg) recalling (= reverse indicator) (Meg = GEM) (UNCUT GEM) a diamond in the rough (UNCUT GEM),
19 Rocket (ATTACK) produced in Knock locally (knock ‘locally’ = ATTACK),
21 Run-of-the-mill (NORMAL) sample of minor malware (sample of ‘miNOR MALware’ = NORMAL),
23 Covered up (= reverse indicator) by Thomas Alva Edison (‘thomas alvA EDIson’ = aedi = IDEA), in theory (IDEA),
24 Born from brown rat (‘born’ from ‘brown rat’ = wrat = WART) with a blemish on the skin (WART).