GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CROSSWORD

ACROSS

5 Tommy, Half A Sixpence actor (6) 7 U.S. TV drama series about LA coastguards (8) 9 Bat Out Of Hell singer (4,4) 10 French painter noted for his candlelit scenes (2,4) 11 Best Actress winner at 2019 Oscars (6,6) 13 Name for the Islamic prayer ‘There is no god but Allah’ (6) 15 Dryads for example (6) 18 Confection with filling of custard, fruit or nuts (6,6) 21 ____ Plath, Ariel poet (6) 22 Countrywise co-presenter (3,5) 23 West Germany’s first postwar Chancellor (8) 24 Brian, late Nottingham Forest manager (6)

DOWN

1 Cannes hosts an annual one for films (8) 2 Ball game of Basque origin (6) 3 Plant with nodding flowers and bent-back petals (8) 4 Chris, Coldplay’s lead vocalist (6) 6 Epic poem by Homer (3,5) 7 Gianluigi, veteran Italian goalkeeper (6) 8 Playing card with a black clover leaf symbol (4) 12 Fielding position near the batsman’s wicket (5,3) 14 Creator of binomial system for animals (8) 16 Extinct elephant-like mammal (8) 17 Map line showing equal atmospheric pressure (6) 18 _____ McCall, original Big Brother presenter (6) 19 Contagious fears (6) 20 William, English Renaissance composer (4)

PLAY our accumulator game! Every day this week, solve the crossword to find the letter in the pink circle. On Friday, we’ll provide instructions to submit your five-letter word for your chance to win a luxury Cross pen. UK residents aged 18+, excl NI. Terms apply. Entries cost 50p.