Across:
1 Persistently loses plenty ('persistently' loses 'plenty' = ersist = RESIST) to weather (RESIST),
4 Lots of room (SPACIOUS) – for the stars mostly (‘for the stars’ = space + mostly = SPAC-) waiting to get paid (IOUs = -IOUS) (SPACIOUS),
9 Steal from Police State (‘steal’ from ‘Police State’ = poicet = POETIC) – there’s a kind of justice in that (POETIC justice),
10 Couch potatoes (slobs) starting to go off (s) (‘slobs’ without ‘s’ = LOBS-) starters of tunas, eagle rays (starters of ‘Tunas Eagle Rays’ = -TER-) and endless (end ‘lesS’ = -S) (LOBSTERS) crustaceans (LOBSTERS),
12 What the captain prepared (-LOG-) is in chest (chest BO-NE-) freezer at the centre (‘freEzer’ at the centre = -E) behind (= position indicator) top shelf (top ‘Shelf’ = -S-) (BOLOGNESE)? Meaty sauce! (BOLOGNESE),
13 Latin eyes (OCULI) tip off (tip ‘off’ = O-) from copper (-CU-) on Long Island (-LI) (OCULI),
14 Popular (IN-) bachelor (-B-) taken in by medical facility (hospital = -HOSPITA-L-) is given drug (-E) (INHOSPITABLE) that’s not welcomed (INHOSPITABLE),
18 Presumably they’re not going together (INCOMPATIBLE), as Irishman (-PAT-) and one (-I-) lawyer (Barrister at Law = -BL-) broke up in Revenue (revenue/ income = INCOM-E) (INCOMPATIBLE),
21 German newspaper (Bild = -D LIB) answered leader (‘Answered’ leader = A-) twisting everything (= reverse all indicator) (AD LIB) that’s said off the cuff (AD LIB),
22 Sounds like (= homophone indicator) Matt’s (‘Matts’ = ‘mats’ = RUNNERS) at a wake (awake = - UP) (RUNNERS-UP) for life’s habitual losers who nearly struck gold (RUNNERS-UP),
24 Spread (AIR) wild (= anagram indicator) crops (crops = CORPS) (AIR CORPS) for one of those in the services industry (AIR CORPS),
25 Don to take a dip (don/put on BIKINI to take a dip/swim) in top beach (top ‘Beach’ = B-) near Island (-I-) Family (-KIN-) Holiday Centre (‘holIday’ centre = -I) (BIKINI),
26 Protects (minds = MIND’S) viewer (EYE) (MIND’S EYE) from one’s imagination (MIND’S EYE),
27 Enthusiastic (eager = REG-AE) spinning (= reversal indicator) covers – great (-G-) (REGGAE) music? (REGGAE)
Down:
1 State (REPUBLIC) of watering hole (-PUB-) in antiquity (relic = RE-LIC) (REPUBLIC),
2 Secretive (STEALTHY) small (S-) duck (-TEAL-) found in Kildare (Athy) needing no introduction (a) (‘Athy’ without ‘a’ = -THY) (STEALTHY),
3 Cast (SLING) of three from Sheltering? (‘three’ from ‘sheltering’ = sling = SLING),
5) Eavesdropping for a gent (‘a gent’ = ‘agent’) covertly (eavesdropping for agent/spy = PHONE TAPPING) hearing things from others online? (hearing things from other on telephone line = PHONE TAPPING),
6 Drop a line (cast = CAS-T) catching sole (sole) reportedly (= homophone indicator) (‘sole’ = ‘soul’ = -SOUL-) from the bottom of Seine (from the bottom of ‘seinE’ = -E-) (CASSOULET) for French stew (CASSOULET),
7 Police order (OPEN UP) to end the lockdown? (OPEN UP),
8 Is (is) back (= reversal indicator) (is = SI-) on film (-SKIN) (SISKIN) and capable of producing a song (songbird = SISKIN)
11 The French (‘the’ French = LE-) team (eleven = -XI-) from firm (-CO-), chart (-GRAPH-) end of profitability (end of ‘profitabilitY’ = -Y) (LEXICOGRAPHY) in the field producing wordy reference books (LEXICOGRAPHY),
15 Relatives (sons = SON-S) welcoming great (-G-) guide (-BOOK-) (SONGBOOKS) to issues with the numbers (SONGBOOKS),
16 It’s embarrassing (ABASHING) as Bangladeshi led away? (‘Bangladeshi’ led away/ without ‘led’ = bangashi = ABASHING),
17 Source of advice (HELPLINE) to employee (HELP-) at The Bar (-LINE) (HELPLINE),
19 Relative (Ma) keels over (= reverse indicator) (Ma = -AM) unfortunately (alas), going back (= reverse indicator) (alas = SALA-) (SALAAM) to take a bow (SALAAM),
20 Old capital (two shillings = FLORIN) of Ulster (NI = -IN) with function (role) briefly (e) (‘role’ briefly = rol = -LOR-) to offend (‘ofF’ end = F-) going all the way back (= reverse all indicator) (FLORIN),
23 Deliberately gets rid of Bradley (‘deliberately’ gets rid of ‘Bradley’ = ietel = ELITE) from select group (ELITE).