| HOWARDJONES | His '80s hits included "Everlasting Love" and "Things Can Only Get Better" |
| AHREED | NZ author, 1875-1975, who when in his 80s climbed Mt Taranaki, Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe, and walked from North Cape to Bluff (1,1,4) |
| DRHOOK | Band with the 1970s-'80s hits "Sexy Eyes" and "Only Sixteen" |
| ADAMANT | British singer who had 80s hits with Ant Music and Stand and Deliver (4,3) |
| SIMONLEBON | Duran Duran's lead singer, whose '80s hits include 26D (pictured right) (5,2,3) |
| DREAM | Pop rock and dance group noted for their 1994 UK No 1 hit Things Can Only Get Better (6) |
| NADIR | Things can only get better from here |
| GAMBLER | One taking a chance at Aintree, say, can only get better (7) |
| BETTER | What things can only get for Rishi's campaign official? (6) |
| REAM | Things could only get better for D:___ (4) |
| PAGERKOOLAID | Drink you can only get by contacting someone by beeper? |
| RBI | You can only get one if you're near home, briefly |
| DETERIORATE | Stop one having to make a speech. It can only get worse (11) |
| LONGFOR | Want what you can only get by a lengthy bit of effort? (4,3) |
| ZEROSUMGAME | Scenario in which one can only get ahead at the expense of another |
| ETERNAL | 'Everlasting Love' finally learnt with different arrangement (7) |
| ETERNITYRING | Item of jewellery symbolising everlasting love (8,4) |
| HELIPORT | Things can only go up from here |
| CARLCARLTON | "Everlasting Love" singer |
| BABYSBREATH | Common name of a variety of gypsophila with delicate white flowers, used as a symbol of everlasting love (5,6) |
