Cryptic crossword No 1,818

This was nice! 13A made me laugh, and the narrative chain of 25-27 is quite impressive. I haven't seen the device in 7D before and thought it neat. A few notes on bits that bothered me in the reply, in case they're useful.

Good fun Bombe, thanks. Lots of ingenuity and interesting surfaces to enjoy. My favourites were: 1a, 13a, 18a, 26a, 7d and 20d. Spoilers …

Thanks for this Bombe. I found this a bit stretchier than your first but still very enjoyable and the only thing that beat me was 7d which is an interesting idea. I have seen similar before but infrequently and the construction did not occur. I smiled at your Piers Morgan swipe and, yes, 13a is also amusing with 24d completing my podium. Thanks. PM