Across:
8 Audaciously (BOLDLY), a follower (‘a’ follower = B-) from dated (-OLD-) heartless (a) place (lay) (‘lAy’ without ‘a’ = -LY) (BOLDLY),
9 Courted a (courted a) model (= anagram indicator) (courted a = EDUCATOR) – a classy type (EDUCATOR),
10 Paid in full for (OWNS) topless (g) dresses (‘gowns’ without ‘g’ = OWNS),
11 Two American cities (LA+WA= LAW-A-) offering at auction (bidding) missing diamonds (d) (‘bidding’ without ‘d’ = -BIDING) (LAW-ABIDING) without committing offence (LAW-ABIDING),
12 Dean leaves broad beans (“Dean” leaves “broad beans” = broabs = ABSORB) to soak (ABSORB),
14 Remains (remains) angry (= anagram indicator) (remains = MARINE-S) about end of war (end of ‘waR’ = -R-) (MARINERS) with those working overseas in the past (MARINERS),
15 Drunk (= anagram indicator) Dad rants (dad rants = STANDARD-) tucking into stiff drinks (DOUBLE -S) (DOUBLE STANDARDS) producing type of hypocrisy applied to some people and not to others (DOUBLE STANDARDS),
18 Old modes of transport (USED CARS), for Crusades (crusades) all over the place (= anagram indicator) (crusades = USED CARS),
20 Apologists ignore a lot (‘apologists’ ignore ‘a lot’ = pogiss = GOSSIP) of tittle-tattle (GOSSIP),
22 Public official (BUREAUCRAT) with office (BUREAU-) key (music key -C-) opens really accessible toilets (opens ‘Really Accessible Toilets’ = -RAT) (BUREAUCRAT),
24 Whistle (tin whistle = PIPE) produced by one with great expectations (Pip in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations = PIP-) and energy (-E) (PIPE),
25 It’s the end of the line (TERMINUS) for Government’s stint (TERM-) in (-IN-) America (-US) (TERMINUS),
26 Praetorian guard takes off, departing (‘Praetorian guard’ takes off ’departing’ = orauar = AURORA) for light show (AURORA).
Down:
1 BBC owe (BBC owe) cast (= anagram indicator) (BBC owe = COBWEB) of Silk designed by those spinning yarns (COBWEB),
2 Puts two and two together (ADDS) on the banks of Admiralty Islands (on the banks of ‘ADmiralty IslanDS’ = ADDS),
3 Stretch your legs largely on summits (‘Stretch Your Legs Largely’ on summits = SYLL-) of Italian island (Elba) going up (= reverse indicator) (Elba = -ABLE) (SYLLABLE) for a bit of a word (SYLLABLE),
4 Word of the Persian (MEOW from Persian cat) with some Alfa Romeo wheels (some ‘alfa roMEO Wheels’ = MEOW),
5 One (NUMBER) in a million? (NUMBER),
6 Endless (e) fish (sardine) (‘sardine’ without ‘e’ = SARDIN-) heads of ide, anchovies, nurse sharks (heads of ‘Ide Anchovies Nurse Sharks’ = -IANS) (SARDINIANS) produced by islanders (SARDINIANS),
7 Ran to ground (CORNERED) in Ring (CORNER- in boxing ring) by journalist (-ED) (CORNERED),
13 Switch (ON) defective (BAD) leads for the electric rickety monitoring system (leads for ‘The Electric Rickety Monitoring System’ = TERMS) (ON BAD TERMS) in dispute (ON BAD TERMS),
14 Subject (MATHS) to no service on Christmas Eve? (no ‘service’ on ‘Christmas Eve’ = hstma = MATHS),
16 New (= anagram indicator) bus decor (bus decor = OBSCURED) goes unnoticed (OBSCURED),
17 Odd (= anagram indicator) thing (thing = NIGHT-) for accountant (-CA-) to post (-P) (NIGHTCAP) with late tot (tot/nip = NIGHTCAP),
19 Students of the past (ALUMNI) in old boys’ club (ALUMNI),
21 Source from abroad (IMPORT) is starting (‘Is’ starting = I-) to get information from the centre (‘inforMation’ from the centre = -M-) on 24 down (‘port’ = -PORT) (IMPORT),
23 Reddish-brown (RUST) sides of rump roast (sides of ‘RUmp roaST’ = RUST),
24 Truck stop around (= reverse indicator) the outskirts of (‘TRuck stOP’ the outskirts of = trop = PORT) Rosslare (PORT).