The Trawl

Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

The Trawl is the podcast that dives headfirst into the political chaos, media spin, and social media absurdity of the week - so you don’t have to.

Hosted by broadcasters and political commentators, Jemma Forte and Marina Purkiss, it’s part therapy, part takedown, and always unfiltered.

Each episode, Jemma and Marina trawl through the week’s most viral tweets, jaw-dropping headlines, and rage-inducing soundbites - offering sharp analysis, dark humour, and the occasional expletive. From Westminster to world affairs, they call out hypocrisy, amplify truth, and remind you that you’re not losing your mind - just living through it.

If you’ve ever shouted at the news or laughed through the tears, The Trawl is your people.

Find the trawl on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetrawlpod/ and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Subscribe Listen in podnod RSS feed Show website

430 episodes
Updated Thursday
Explicit

Episodes430

Newest first

Mar 14, 2025 · 54 min
Trump's Transgender Mice, Canadian Wrath, WW3 and Greenland
Sometimes, Jemma and Marina feel like they're having a fever dream. First they're agreeing with Dan Hodges from The Mail, then Trump is confusing transgenic mice with transgender mice. Furthermore, upon being told his error, rather than burying himself under a duvet so he can hide due to abject mortification, he's doubling down. Still, it's not like this person is in charge of the US or anything. Oh....... The latest Trump week from hell has been a biggie, he's making another bid for Greenland, apropos of just...wanting it. He's really getting on Canada's nerves and more worryingly, he's causing Russia to get away with accusing the UK of being the 'main instigator' of global conflict, including the Second World War. This seems interesting to Marina and Jemma who had thought we were all agreed that that was started by the bloke who invaded Poland. Decision after heinous Trump decision makes it a pretty surreal Trawl. For instance, wanting to send Ukrainian refugees back when you've just made their country even more dangerous feels pretty low. Jemma can't handle it and needs to inject some levity with her new favourite clip. Marina's vaguely amused, but only vaguely. Still, with so much going on, it feels important to reserve some sympathy for the presenter of Pointless, Alexander Armstrong, who has been moaning to The Telegraph about VAT on private school fees while wearing a cravat. Pudding is by the genius Randy Rainbow Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss Edited by Max Carrey If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 12, 2025 · 33 min
Labour's Cruel Benefit Cuts and Reform Implode
The sun has had it's hat on, in the UK. Marina is not in the UK. She's still on holiday, where it's cloudy. What are the chances? Somehow, Jemma has managed to find a Cilla clip that draws a comparison to the situation. Marina takes it well and, Trawl trooper that she is, she's packed her mic so she and Jemma can trawl through what on earth is going on at Reform UK. Despite being able to count the number of MP's they have on one hand, there's serious trouble at mill and a very public spat has ensued, seemingly triggered by Rupert Lowe thinking he should be leader post his endorsement from Musk. Watching them eat themselves, it occurs to the Trawl ladies, that maybe, just maybe the UK media gives them all far too much credence. After that Jemma and Marina discuss Labour's latest announcements concerning benefits, including disability benefits and PIP specifically. The fact they're going after the most vulnerable in society feels disgusting to them and the way they're going about it is pure Tory. Starmer promised no more austerity, there 'could' be a wealth tax, but no, it feels like the people who have the least are expected to suffer. Not good. As for the party line the MP's are spouting as they do the rounds, well, it's depressingly Tory too. After that topic it feels only fair to finish with a farewell to Darren Grimes who has left GB News. A very emotional Darren cited not being able to say exactly what he wanted to as the reason for leaving. Jemma and Marina wonder what on earth he wants to say that you can't say at the 'home of free speech.' It's bon voyage to him and hello to some under rated tweets and a brilliant pudding served by Stewart Lee. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss Edited by Max Carrey If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 7, 2025 · 41 min
Ukraine, UK, U OK USA?
The Trawl ladies begin by paying tribute to Hollywood legend, Gene Hackman who has passed away. Morgan Freeman spoke powerfully about him at The Oscar's and then Jemma and Marina select their other highlight from The Academy Awards which was the emotional moment when No Other Land won Best Documentary Feature. The film which you can see on Channel 4 is about life under occupation in the West Bank and was made by an Israeli and Palestine collective. Hearing from a Palestinian man and then an Israeli who are united in their sense of injustice is a powerful moment. The rest of the episode focuses on the fallout from Zelensky's Oval Office experience. Trump is withdrawing aid from Ukraine and to all intents and purposes sounding more like a Russian asset by the minute. The Republicans are still right behind them, though Europe are not and Starmer is taking the lead on bringing leaders together to find a way forward. His warm greeting and display of affection for the Ukranian leader, coupled with Zelensky's visit to the King, is a masterclass in pass agg diplomacy. Marina tries to make sense of Trump withdrawing Russian Cyber security protections, while Jemma just tries to make sense, due to having been at a big event the night before. That said, the Trawl ladies are both very clear on what they think about Vance's insulting comments about our military. Meanwhile, the US economy is tanking and the price of eggs remains high. Nice one Trump, it's going terribly and people have had un oeuf (enough) Pudding is from the Jimmy Kimmel show Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss Edited by Max Carrey If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 5, 2025 · 41 min
Starmer Steps Up. The White House Punches Down
What a time to be alive. The news cycle is insane. Even people who normally don't talk about politics, are talking about politics - cue Susannah Constantine. In this episode Jemma and Marina revisit the various scenes from The Oval Office starting, of course, with Starmer's audience with the giant human wotsit that is Trump. Marina and Jemma both agreed that whilst it was faintly nauseating to watch the PM handing over a letter from the King, it was also a diplomatic coup and very cleverly played. It's fair to say Starmer's stock is up. Comedian, Michael Spicer, has a view too and provides commentary. Sadly, things didn't go as smoothly when Zelensky paid his visit and JD Vance was particularly grotesque. Marina and Jemma unpack the bullying and share the best takes they've found. Unlike Vance, they won't force you to thank them. The fallout, suit-gate and Marco Rubio's unease, it's all in this Trawl as are your underrated tweets of the week. Pudding is sung for you by The Marsh Family Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss Edited by Max Carrey If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 28, 2025 · 45 min
The Trawl Meets - Ashley James: Meeting porn star Bonnie Blue, body image and feminism
Jemma and Marina have both followed Ashley on Instagram (where she has a gigantic following) for a while now so were delighted to discover that she listens to The Trawl regularly. Ashley is the political commentator on This Morning, a vocal feminist and passionate about sharing just as much 'reality' on Insta as she does glamour. With all that in mind, Marina and Jemma were fascinated to talk about her stint at GB News, the time she interviewed porn star Bonnie Blue and to find out why she cites Ann Widdecombe as an influence. Body parts, politics and sex, nothing is off limits. It's a juicy episode as the three ladies speak their minds and find out more about Ashley. Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Find Ashley here: https://www.instagram.com/ashleylouisejames Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 27, 2025 · 39 min
Putin's Poodles, Musk's Cabinet & That Trump-Gaza Video
The pod opens by addressing the dilemma many of us face as we try to not raise politics in every conversation, despite it impacting almost every facet of our lives, and the ladies reveal a new word that we can all begin using more often to express how we feel. And no, it doesn't begin with c... Then it's onto Starmer's defense spending announcement which was so significant that the Reform poster boys, or Putin's poodles as they should affectionately be known, didn't even bother to turn up to. There's a rundown of the latest craziness coming out of The US, which the ladies have kindly set to some retro music to make it more palatable, before delving into Trump's new grift: selling US citizenship for $5 million apiece - and would you believe it? The maths doesn't add up. After more discussion about how the land of the free is becoming less free by the day, there's some chat about Musk's first cabinet meeting as the de-facto president before the topic turns to THAT Trump-Gaza AI video. But worry not, because there are some lighter underrated tweets to leave you feeling hopeful and a delicious French pudding to boot. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss Edited by Max Carrey If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 26, 2025 · 46 min
Truss, Stormzy, and the Dark Side of Sellouts
Jemma and Marina are concerned for any Trawlers who may have been left unsettled after their recent chat about Stormzy's controversial McDonald's deal so they are delighted to read a statement on the matter. Though it is written by Michael Spicer so tongues should be placed firmly in cheeks. There is an over view of some terrible behaviour from various MP's and then we're off to CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) or beep, beep, beep and beep as Marina aptly renames it! It shouldn't be funny, but it is. The Trawl ladies discuss the spectacle of a grown man wielding a power tool, Nazi salutes and the utter gibberish coming from Truss and the unpatriotic maligning of Britain from Farage. After all that some seeds of revolution are desperately needed. And Jemma and Marina think they've come up trumps (pardon the pun). There follow some incredible clips who are not going to take what's happening either quietly or lying down. Under rated Tweets end the ep along with pudding from Trawl faves The Exploding Heads. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss Edited by Max Carrey If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 21, 2025 · 38 min
Musk's baby Drama and when one toddler met another in the Oval Office
The Trawl ladies are dismayed to learn that worldwide Joe Rogan has three billion listeners. His is the most popular podcast in the world which is why it's rather disturbing to hear him saying that Musk isn't doing anything for the money..... Fortunately, plenty of other people, aren't as impressed and a clip of former governor Michael Steele, who was also chair of the Republican National Committee, losing his temper MSNBC is blistering and somewhat reassuring given the fact he's a Republican. Then we head to the Oval Office to discuss what happened when Musk's toddler started mouthing things at Trump. The ladies discuss. That scene was fascinating but perhaps more known about than the dialogue on X between Musk and someone called Ashley St Clair who claims Musk is the father of the child. The Trawl have the screengrabs, which is good because they were mysteriously deleted. Almost like someone at X didn't like them. There's more Musk scandal due to the fact that DOGE have published ultra classified information on their website only with no apparent repercussions while Trump spends his valuable time bullying Romania into releasing Andrew Tate. Good to see they have their priorities straight. There are under rated tweets as ever and pudding is by the wonderful Cody Dahler. Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss Edited by Max Carrey If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 20, 2025 · 32 min
Vance insults Europe and who deserves a BAFTA
Just occasionally, social media can deliver something really heart warming and Jemma and Marina were moved by the fact that Jamie Theakston's listeners at Heart FM cared enough to make him see a doctor when they noticed his voice had changed. As a result he received a cancer diagnosis and fortunately now has been given the all clear. His words are really worth listening to. And the BAFTA for best presenter goes to.....David Tennant for making not one, not two but three Trump jokes during his monologue at the start of the BAFTAS, though only one made the final cut on the BBC and some of the backlash on socials was intense to say the least. You'd think people would save their vitriol for the speech JD Vance made during which he insulted Europe and singled out the UK for a punch or two too. So much for that 'special relationship.' Vance claimed that over here 'free speech is in retreat' which is interesting given the US have just banned a children's book by Julianne Moore about a girl who has freckles. Marina and Jemma give a full fash chart rundown, literally to the Top of the Pops music and consider what could happen if Europe stand firm against the US. Pudding is sung by Martin Kerr Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss Edited by Max Carrey If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 19, 2025 · 39 min
Could Trump be any more of a Putin fanboy?
The sun came out in Britain for about five minutes so Marina and Jemma thought they'd better begin this episode with that incredible news. Maybe blue sky (not the social media platform) will take the edge of the new world order? But first, seeing as the news is borderline dystopian and jaw-droppingly surreal, it's only natural that the BBC should be focusing on Rachel Reeves' LinkedIn and whether or not she put £49 on expenses 100 years ago. TOTALLY NORMAL COUNTRY. Meanwhile, Trump appears to be blaming Ukraine for the fact that Russia invaded them. Worse than that, he's not just a Putin apologist, he's a fan. A fascinating clip of Former Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull on what he observed in-person when Trump met Putin illustrates this perfectly. Sadly, in the UK we have our own apologists, none more so ill-informed than Richard Tice who was taken to task by Julia Hartley Brewer for comparing the situation to Northern Ireland. Trump's appeasement has put Boris Johnson in a bind. How do you support Trump and Zelensky at the same time? You can only do so if you have zero integrity. So he manages perfectly fine. Pudding is served by comedian Will Sebag Montefiore. Find us here: Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss. If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 14, 2025 · 41 min
Superbowl, Kanye West goes Tonto and The Trawl's Version of Valentine's
Love, positivity, drama, scandal, horror, and chaos, it's all in the air during this episode of The Trawl. Marina has a theory. She suspects that Jemma had a lot of stuff bookmarked that wasn't appropriate for normal Trawls so has decided to do a Valentine's ep so she can sandwich it in. She might be right... The Trawl ladies kick off with some reasons to be cheerful and reminders that whilst it might not feel like given the political hellscape, the world is full of wonderful people. Not just power hungry billionaires and authoritarian leaders. It's a timely reminder. Then the Trawl takes a musical turn because social media has been dominated by the off- pitch shenanigans at the Superbowl. Taylor Swift was in the audience watching her partner play and got booed by MAGA. Trump (and this will amaze you) reacted like a petulant toddler with the maturity of a gnat. Meanwhile rapper Kendrick Lamar was on stage making all sorts of pointed references to frenemy Drake. in fact it's fair to say the football probably didn't receive as much speculation as his performance did. Then Marina and Jemma briefly discuss Kanye West's disgusting Twitter tirades and his odd appearance on the red carpet at The Grammy's with girlfriend Bianca Censori who was naked in a way that wasn't entirely comfortable for onlookers. It probably wasn't entirely comfortable for her either. Definitely chilly. And then Jemma leads a valentine's section,, on her own. She explains why but don't worry, the Trawl ladies haven't split. They'll be back together for the whole of the next ep. Pudding is full of love - enjoy! Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 12, 2025 · 34 min
Dodgy Labour WhatsApps and Executive Trumpshittery
Marina has been feeling particularly overwhelmed by the news cycle lately so Jemma insists on joining in the UK conversation about identifying as llamas. Labour MP, Andrew Gwynne, has been fired for writing dodgy WhatsApps and his replacement tweeted (years ago) something about not caring if people want to identify as llamas. Cue right wing meltdowns from the usual suspects. Still, thankfully Lee Anderson is on hand to explain what a llama is in case his followers weren't sure. Sadly the trawl ladies have to take the plunge and head to the US where Trump and Musk are doing their level best to dismantle democracy. Musk is refusing court orders and wants to get rid of any judges he doesn't agree with. Bit fashy, no? Trump is disbanding taskforces who were in charge of targeting oligarchs and brilliant journalist, Carole Cadwalladr has described what's happening as a digital coup. Still, Truss is delighted that Trump is bringing back plastic straws, so someone's happy. There's a string of other travesties to discuss, including the latest disgusting rhetoric on Gaza and a pleasing clip which demonstrates Trump's thin skinned response to Musk being on the front of Time Magazine. There are under rated tweets of course and pudding is from comedian, Reed Galen. Enjoy! Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 7, 2025 · 34 min
Up for Grabs: The Riviera of the Middle East and the US Govt
Marina and Jemma open with a flicker of good news, before putting on their waders to get stuck into the latest political developments stateside... They revisit the ugly fallout from the two fatal air disasters, Trump's inane ramblings and the insanity of blaming diversity, equity and inclusion before turning their attention to the latest monstrosity to fall out of Trump's mouth when discussing his intentions for Gaza - or what he is now referring to as 'The Riviera of the Middle East'. There's some brief chat around Marina watching CGI videos of mega prisons in El Salvador (which will become clear once you listen ) before the conversation moves to deportations and how the White House chose to, in an act of rank immaturity and unprofessionalism, single out actress Selena Gomez. We finish off with the constitutional crisis facing America as Musk and his allies infiltrate Government departments and cut off life-saving aid, and the undeniable reality of the richest man on earth taking away support from the very poorest, and how somehow the Trump-evangelicals will still find a way to wrap their warped minds around that... Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss Edited by Max Carrey If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 5, 2025 · 37 min
Trump Tariff Chaos and Happy Brexit Anniversary!
Jemma and Marina open with a nod to the five year Brexit anniversary, sharing details from all the wonderful celebratory street parties and endless Brexit benefits... Except they didn't, as they were and are none, as even GB News found out. There's some chat around Starmer's trip to the EU and what it means before moving swiftly on to another country that is stupid enough to wage tariff wars with its closest trading partners - hello Trump's US. The ladies discuss the caving of Trump on his threat to apply 25% tariffs to Canada and Mexico, while observing that actually all world leaders need to do is make Trump think he's had a victory, instead of actually letting him have one. Meanwhile China, the real adversary, gets a 10% tariff applied which prompts a tweet from Marina that attracted MAGA trolls telling her to 'cry harder'. We wrap up with some highlights include the revoking of a church license from everyone's least favourite priest and a delightful US election-themed pudding. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss Edited by Max Carrey If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 3, 2025 · 9 min
Welcome to The Trawl
It’s the podcast that trawls social media so you don’t have to. Join political commentator Marina Purkiss and broadcaster Jemma Forte to find the most interesting, hilarious and sometimes ridiculous takes of the week’s trending news. Here’s a segment from some of their recent episodes on Trump ‘saving’ TikTok (and why we should be very worried) and whether Labour have just become Tories 2.0? Listen to The Trawl wherever you find your podcasts. If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 31, 2025 · 41 min
Trump Tragedies and Musk Mayhem
Marina and Jemma begin this episode talking about their various coping strategies for living through a political binfire and... January. They have classical music in common but a clip from comedian Michael Spicer causes them to wonder, is The Trawl the equivalent to Classic FM? Then, they can't put if off any longer, it's time to find out what the newly inaugurated President has been up to and man, he's been busy. Busy making hellish statements about Gaza, busy deporting people, busy making cuts to cancer research, and busy dismissing government watchdogs and hiring cronies. The Trawl ladies are particularly alarmed by his pick for Secretary of Defence, a Fox News anchor called Pete Hegseth who wants to change his role to 'Secretary of War.' Okaaaaay. Still, Trump has claimed that Starmer is doing a 'good job'. Coming from him it's hardly praise you want framed. And inevitably Jemma and Marina want to discuss the fact that Musk spoke at an AfD rally in Germany. His words were chilling but hardly surprising given his choice of hand gesture on the world stage the week before. There are underrateds of course and pudding is a bit different to usual. A writer called Nate White wrote a magnificent response to the question 'Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?' Pudding gives you a flavour of his wonderful answer. Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss Edited by Sophie Snelling If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 29, 2025 · 37 min
Are Labour Now Tories? And Prince Harry Takes On Murdoch
Jemma opens with some imaginings of a world far different from the one we inhabit now, where Trump is deposed, Putin is departed and David Attenborough leads the way, before swiftly moving on to the stark reality of our times... And yes, the world has indeed gone mad, so the first clip of this episode is a pure dose of sense and humanity, which just so happens to come from a 14 year old named Zach. Then into the Labour government we go, and the reviews are far from five stars. Jemma and Marina discuss the perils of maintaining the status quo, the cravenness of the non-dom U-turn and Starmer's hate for tree huggers. There's a turn up for the books, as Marina has a momentary moment of praise for the Royal Family - specifically Prince Harry who took on Murdoch and won, followed by the petty Piers Morgan-led online spat with Hugh Grant that ensued. There's a howler of an underrated tweet of the week and an wonderfully profound quote that reminds us why we must never give up. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss Edited by Sophie Snelling If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 24, 2025 · 44 min
Nazi Salutes, Executive Orders and Bishop Bashing
He's back... Like a bad stench that won't go away, except now it's gone from foul, to putrid and dangerous. Jemma and Marina wade through the inauguration fall out, including an interesting case of f*ck around and find out. They discuss The Village People anthem performed during Trump's big day, which feels like an interesting choice for the MAGA bigots, then it's onto Melania's hat choice (genius move) and the peep show triggered by the garment worn by the partner of Jeff Bezos, or indeed lack of garment. Like flies to sh*t, the UK's very own worst exports coalesced around Trump, as did the world's richest and most powerful tech bros who found themselves in front row, even ahead of the elected officials. And then it came...that gesture from Musk, the "odd looking salute", the "Roman salute", the "show of love"...the ARE WE ALL LOSING OUR MINDS, IT WAS A NAZI SALUTE FFS!!! TWICE!!! And breathe. Or at least try to remain calm, as Jemma and Marina talk you through a smattering of the most petty, spiteful and damaging Executive Orders dished out in week one. And guess what...not one will impact the price of eggs. The pod finishes with a show of strength from Rev.Mariann Budde who spoke for the church in a way that many Christians would appreciate, unless of course you're a Trump Christian who is now calling for her deportation - just as Jesus would have done. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss Edited by Max Carrey If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 23, 2025 · 47 min
Gaza Ceasefire, Trump 'Saves' TikTok and Donald’s Dodgy Crypto Coins
Marina and Jemma are finding January 'interesting.' Certainly 'Dry Janning' is beyond them. Trump's been inaugurated for goodness sake and there's a lot of batshittery to Trawl through before they can even begin on that! In this one the Trawl ladies kick off by discussing the 'temporary' ceasefire in Gaza. There's a clip of actor, Guy Pearce, whose response encapsulates the underwhelm they're experiencing given the killing seems to have continued. It's also horrendous to witness Trump and Biden using the announcement as a political football, to unpick Starmer's reaction, to see Netanyahu using language which shows little resolve. On top of that there's a Trump clip which is truly sickening. He quite clearly views Palestine as wonderful real estate and even cites 'great weather.' It goes without saying, any break from the relentless violence is welcome and to be celebrated, but it doesn't mean what's taken place isn't tragic, brutal and unforgivable. Marina and Jemma have a conversation about social media which brings to light what Jemma has been watching on TikTok because it's been making waves and headlines. Not content with controlling X and Meta, Trump also has designs on TikTok and is also on intent on making money from it. This is despite being the one who wanted it banned, which he said repeatedly. The ladies have receipts. Then there's the coin Trump has released and he's made billions. He might as well just say GIVE ME YOUR MONEY NUMBNUTS. Still, on a positive, Isabel Oakeshott has moved to Dubai... Larry and Paul's Broken News are your pudding. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 22, 2025 · 54 min
The Trawl Meets UB40 - Anarchy, family fallouts and politics
Jemma and Marina were thrilled when two of the original members of UB40 agreed to come on The Trawl Meets. After all, the group are one of the most commercially successful bands of all time, having sold more records than Oasis, over 100 million to be precise. Of course they are almost as known for their political leanings as they are for their wonderful music so it's a match made in Trawl heaven. Even the band’s name is famously a reference to the unemployment benefit form, each had signed having left school without a job, so it was fascinating to chat politics, music and everything in between with drummer, Jimmy Brown and guitarist Robin Campbell. They talked about how they began, what it was like to be discovered by Chrissie Hynde and why history comes full circle. They and other members of the band have always spoken out against racism and indeed, protested against the National Front decades ago. Yet here we are and Farage and Robinson et al are on the rise. Have we gone backwards? The band supported Corbyn when he was Labour leader so how do they feel now and what do they make of Starmer? Are we all preaching to the converted or can art change minds? And what really happened when Robin's brother, Ali, left the band? Get the real lowdown, their no holds barred version and, it being The Trawl expect some giggles as well. Jemma's been making Max make UB40 inspired jingles. Pudding is served by another reggae legend - the one and only Bob Marley. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.social Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss Edited by Max Carrey If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on • Early access to The Trawl Meets… • Glorious ad-free episodes Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat. And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone. Come join the fun: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.