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When I see Picaroon’s name on a Prize I expect a challenge and a treat, and this was no exception, with a wide range of clues and misdirections, a lot of wit and one or two unusual words. Somehow over too soon, but I was pleased to have solved it without help. FOI (embarrassingly) 9. LOI (should have got it sooner) 20.
COD 20 for its topical(ish) naughtiness.

Argh, I meant 18 for my COD. But there’s a lot of competition.

Yes, a real delight, even by Picaroon's high standards.
Perhaps a bit on the gentle side, no longer than average solving time, but an overwhelming number of fine clues.

FOI 5d (slow start), LOI 25.

Really impossible to pick a COD. My short list included 8, 4, 1d, 11, 15 and 25. The long list added 9 more clues, so apparently I liked almost everything.

One Pauline item (at first scan) and a couple of references to Guardian setters.

You’re right, geeker: all your candidates for COD are truly excellent and, in the end, to pick a winner is invidious. I guess that’s why I went for the frivolous one!

rogissimo, I probably lack the UK GK to fully appreciate your COD pick (18). The first word was pretty clear, then I derived the 2nd word, but strictly speaking my parsing is incomplete. It's probably hilarious to most of the audience. 😏

geeker - it derives from a highly improbably excuse in an interview, which has recently (rather oddly) been recreated in what I suppose would be termed a docudrama on Netflix. If you Google the solution and the last word of the clue it might help you complete the parsing. It IS kind of hilarious but, in the context of a truly awful story, also not.

You need to watch the new Netflix movie, Scoop. "No sweat" has a new meaning in Britain now.

I see I was beaten to it by Rogissimo.

Concerning the puzzle itself, I think Picaroon is rapidly becoming one of my favourite setters, because of the elegance of his surfaces. My FOI was 1a, which doesn't often happen for me. There were a couple of obscure words and a couple I should have known, but the clueing was so precise that they were relatively easy to get. I expect there will be complaints on 225 next week about it being too easy for a Prize puzzle but it was at the perfect level for me.

I may have beaten you to it, rainman, but your terse hint was better than my wordy explanation. And I wrote ‘improbably’ for ‘improbable’. And it wasn’t an excuse but an arguably absurd explanation for a denial. Apart from that I’m totally satisfied with what I wrote 😉🙄
I also agree with your assessment, and would have no truck with anyone complaining about it being too easy (contrast Carpathian two weeks ago, which was, IMV).

This is a belter from Picaroon. One after another of great clues. Bottom half complete though some very specific GK needed for the SE corner. On to top half but a hint for 23d would be useful. Even with crossers I'm not seeing it.