| PENNYMORDAUNT | MP and the first-ever female secretary of state for defence (5,8) |
| ANA | Ms Carrasco, first ever female winner of a motorcycling world championship last year (3) |
| BRANDRETH | See picture clue: Former MP and The One Show reporter, Gyles --------- (9) |
| KAPLINSKY | TV newsreader and the first ever winner of Strictly Come Dancing, Natasha --------- (9) |
| NELLMCANDREW | Glamour model who took part in Celebrity Fort Boyard in 2001 and the first ever series of I'm A Celeb in 2002 (4,8) |
| MARIAH | ___ Carey, singer and the first ever to be a good sport in CK (pictured bottom) (6) |
| GALEANNNORTON | First female Secretary of the Interior (2001-06) |
| BILLCLINTON | He appointed the first female Attorney General and the first female Secretary of State (#42, 1993-20 |
| FLORA | Ms. MacDonald (Canada's first female Secretary of State for External Affairs, from 1979 to 1980) |
| LIAMFOX | Secretary of State for Defence from 2010-11 and Secretary of State for International Trade from 2016-19 (4,3) |
| YELLEN | Janet ___, the first female Secretary of the Treasury |
| BROWNE | Des ?, former MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun; Secretary of State for Defence from 2006-08 |
| NOTT | Sir John ___, secretary of state for defence at the time of the Falklands war (4) |
| DESBROWNE | Former MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun; Secretary of State for Defence from 2006-08 (3,6) |
| PYRAMIDSCHEME | My MP and I searched everywhere for 14 (7,6) |
| BOBAINSWORTH | 1992-2015 Labour MP for Coventry North East; 2009-10 Secretary of State for Defence |
| HOON | Geoffrey ?, Labour MP for Ashfield from 1992-2010; Secretary of State for Defence from 1999-2005 |
| AINSWORTH | Bob ?, 1992-2015 Labour MP for Coventry North East; 2009-10 Secretary of State for Defence |
| ANNWIDDECOMBE | Ex-Tory MP and 2010 Strictly competitor (3,10) |
| GRANTSHAPPS | Secretary of State for Defence, since August 2023, who has used the names Michael Green, Corinne Stockheath and Sebastian Fox (5,6) |
