The Trawl

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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.

Sat, 19 Sep 2026 - 46min

458 - Trump’s Cheques, Sydney’s Boobs & The FBI

Sydney Sweeney has bosoms, Trump has a $5,000 promise, and somehow the FBI is having a conversation about bestiality. So yes, it’s been another perfectly normal week on Planet Earth.

In this Trawl, Marina and Jemma get stuck into Sydney Sweeney’s gambling ad and ask whether “my body, my choice” also means “please don’t criticise my choices”. Trump, meanwhile, is promising Americans $5,000 if Republicans win the midterms, because nothing says sound economic policy like a giant election-shaped cheque.

The Trawl ladies also head stateside for Trump’s latest diplomatic contributions, the increasingly bonkers saga around Jimmy Kimmel and the FCC, the FBI’s bizarre new hiring standards, and a few glimmers of hope in the form of politicians who can actually string a sentence together.

Plus Mitch McConnell gets the taxidermy treatment, the BBC gets another kicking, and underrated tweets are once again doing considerably more work than most governments.

It’s bleak. It’s absurd. Thank God we can take the piss.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

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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.

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 - 41min

457 - Ed Sheeran's Lonely Apolitical Era & Reform's Crypto Bros

Ed Sheeran dropped Macklemore for saying Free Palestine, and now the support acts have since been dropping Ed Sheeran. Turns out "apolitical" is a position, and it's not a popular one. Andy Burnham finally did something and slapped a trade ban on Israeli settlement goods and US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee is furious about it. Excellent work.

An Israeli newspaper is reporting Netanyahu had an explicit warning before October 7th and sat on it. Jemma and Marina go through what that means and why it matters. Meanwhile, Reform have banked £72 million from two donors with very interesting backgrounds, so of course the BBC covered it like a charity gala. Worry not...Isabel Oakeshott has assured us billionaires want nothing in return. Sure, Isabel.

Plus the week's most underrated tweets. Grab your pyjamas. This one's a lot.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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Youtube

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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.

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 - 46min

456 - Is THIS Patriotism? Boy Burkas, Foreign Cash and RNLI Beef

This week, Marina and Jem start in America — where Trump calls 18 dead soldiers "small potatoes," posts AI-generated videos of himself beating world leaders with a hockey stick, and explains trade to a room of adults too scared to tell him he's wrong. Rinse, repeat, somehow getting worse.

Then they come home to Blighty — where things are going brilliantly. Hundreds of men in matching black balaclavas staged two days of (NOT) spontaneous protests in Dover and Portsmouth, injuring police, blocking ferries, and terrifying British families trying to get into town. Arrests: none. Funny that — almost like if you'd been a blind OAP or a vicar protesting for peace, they'd have found the handcuffs. Also: a coachload of Pakistani cricketers gets surrounded by a brainless mob, the RNLI gets grief for not letting people drown, and Nick Ferrari has some thoughts. All recorded at 9:40pm on empty stomachs, and it shows.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

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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.

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 - 48min

455 - Reform's Rabid Conference & Trump's Fireman Fantasy

Trump reinvents 9/11 with himself as the hero, fireman-carried, fist in the air, saving the day from... four miles away.

Meanwhile, it's all happening at the Reform conference, Farage lays out exactly how he'd neuter the House of Lords if it gets in his way, a woman protester gets her hair pulled and is hit with a crutch by livid OAPS and Robert Jenrick "resigns" from a job he doesn't have over a budget that doesn't exist.

Plus: Zia Yousaf's dog-whistle campaign video, the finest vox pops democracy has to offer, and one man who is, unfortunately, very open to dating his cousin. It's a pretty crazy one with a lot of laughs.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 - 52min

454 - SIZZLING SCANDAL 🔥 Reform's Big Fat Foreign Money Scandal (And Farage's Best Excuses Yet)

Jemma and Marina wade through the wreckage of Reform UK's worst week yet. A year-long undercover sting by investigative outfit Verbatim catches Nigel Farage's closest aides, head of policy James Orr and confidante Dan Jukes, on tape discussing how to secretly fund Reform's own polling through a fake American donor, all while a fictional $500,000 donation dangles in the background. Farage himself calls the scheme "amazing" and "bang for buck" on camera.

Cue two sackings, a genuinely spectacular pile-up of excuses (entrapment! pub banter! "I wasn't listening"! they're just contractors!), and a late, jittery conference speech built on the same recycled security excuse Farage used to dodge the Clacton by-election.

Plus: a genuinely wholesome voice note to restore your faith in dating apps (honest guv), and a deep, unnecessary dive into everyone's feelings about oysters.

Corruption, contradictions, and crustaceans. Settle in, Trawlers.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 - 39min

453 - Trumps AI Slop, Falklands Threats & Midterm Meltdowns

Trump is renaming lakes, posting increasingly deranged AI images and apparently gearing up to declare the midterms rigged before they've even happened. Meanwhile, the US is reportedly threatening Britain over the Falklands, Trump's CIA director is making mysterious trips to Moscow, and democracy feels increasingly like it's being held together with Sellotape.

Then there's Israel and Gaza, where the rhetoric and imagery become ever more horrifying, Netanyahu gets a very frosty reception at the UN, and the UK promises a “comprehensive reset” of its Israel policy. Jemma and Marina also look at the devastating floods in Nepal, the climate crisis, the astonishingly low level of US aid and the depressing willingness of tech giants to bend to political power.

Plus: AI geese, Dolly Parton, a very adventurous boiler man, Tim Curry, and a load of Under Rateds.

It's another week where reality has apparently given up.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 - 37min

452 - The Sainsbury’s Fleece, Reform Brain Farts & The £450k Birkin

It’s been a busy week in politics. Andy Burnham is back, delivering a barnstorming speech attacking the legacy of Thatcherism and Brexit… before promptly getting himself into a spot of bother over a Sainsbury’s work-experience scheme, political donations and a rather fetching supermarket fleece. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer quits as an MP, James Cleverly quits the Shadow Cabinet to spend TWO YEARS campaigning to become Mayor of London, and Reform continues its relentless assault on reality.

Marina and Jemma ask why every Reform brain fart seems to become a BBC headline, examine Robert Jenrick’s latest immigration claims, and marvel at Peter Hitchens being forced to publicly deny that he thinks Rupert Lowe is the next Winston Churchill.

And then, because this is The Trawl, the Trawl ladies move seamlessly from the state of the nation to men who deliberately don’t shower before dates, Jemma’s frustration with dating, the £450,000 Birkin bag from hell and the enduring question: how quickly can one shower before becoming a social pariah?

Politics, hypocrisy, free labour, filthy rich people and filthy men. Just another day on The Trawl.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 - 42min

451 - Carney Plays Chess & Reform's Marriage Policy Falls Apart

Builders openly bragging about dodging tax at a trade show, Trump quietly admitting his own tariffs backfired by striking a deal to import cheaper beef right after telling ranchers he had their backs and an American food safety crisis.

Jemma and Marina have a lot to talk about what with food recalls stacking up in the US. There are dodgy eggs, blueberries, cheese and lettuce, as regulators get gutted from underneath. Then, closer to home: Reform UK's baffling new housing policy. Announced by divorced Richard Tice, it prioritises married couples and quietly punishes single parents and people fleeing abusive relationships. Lee Anderson and Laila Cunningham try to defend. Plus, the one story this week that'll actually restore your faith in people, because sometimes trawlers, it's not all bad news. The Trawl ladies end on a note that will warm your cockles. Enjoy!

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 - 40min

450 - Dolly Parton's Legacy & Trump's 'Human Printer' Natalie Harp

Marina and Jemma start by paying tribute to the utterly irreplaceable Dolly Parton, celebrating her extraordinary talent, generosity and legacy and remembering how she managed to reach people across political and cultural divides with warmth, compassion and a whole lot of rhinestones.

Then it’s back into the grubby world of Trump. The Trawl ladies dissect his bizarre comments to a teenage lifesaver, discuss the staggering US national debt, soaring oil prices and despair at the people around him who seem determined not to notice any of it. They also get stuck into the increasingly strange stories and speculation surrounding Trump aide Natalie Harp, including those much-discussed letters and her reputation as his “human printer”.

Then it's time to take a much-needed trip to New York, where affordable housing, public services and even the return of an otter to the Bronx River offer a few glorious green shoots of hope. Plus, capitalism gets a kicking, the internet provides some truly spectacular commentary and Jemma continues to overshare.

So grab a cup of ambition, settle in and enjoy another trawl through the week's chaos with Dolly Parton providing the soundtrack, the balm and the reminder that being a decent human being still counts for quite a lot.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 - 44min

449 - Harry & Meghan, Rain, Ukraine & The GB Press Outrage Machine

This week on the Trawl, the rain finally arrives and apparently that's the cue for the water companies to start dumping sewage, for the right-wing press to blame Muslims for our water shortages, and everyone to start shouting about everything.

Marina and Jemma look at Reform's recent setbacks, its curious approach to free speech, Andy Burnham's surprisingly punchy trip to Ukraine, and the extraordinary media frenzy over Harry and Meghan returning to Britain. Plus, why the press seem determined to turn every issue into an immigration story, and a sobering look at the treatment of the late academic Jason Arday.

And, naturally, there's a posh person who doesn't think they're posh.

Join us for another trawl through the week's news catch, it's slippery, misshapen and occasionally quite rancid.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 - 45min

448 - Trump Opens A Bank, Reform Comes For Your PIP

Right, buckle up, trawlers... Trump's crypto company has been rubber-stamped as an actual bank (by his own government no less!) and Marina and Jemma wave a cheery bye Felicia to his press secretary Caroline Levitt (left to perish on the decoy plane while Trump and a "very very very close aide" swanned off on the catering flight). They boggle at the Tates' Temu lawyer, a shouting salami in sunglasses, vowing to take their extradition fight "to Trump" - plus the 30-odd bellends doing solidarity press-ups outside a Miami jail.

Then it's back home to Blighty, where Reform reckon they'll save £50bn by whipping PIP off up to three million people and gutting the health bit of Universal Credit, which the BBC broadcast in full, of course. The ladies get stuck into why it's cruel, unworkable and really a mental health story, discuss their own personal experiences of welfare and then it's on to Netanyahu branding us the "Islamic Republic of Britain," and an Underrated of the Week for the actual Pope. Amen!

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 - 40min

447 - Jason Arday : When The Press Becomes A Mob

In this powerful episode of The Trawl, Jemma Forte and Marina Purkiss unpack the tragic death of Jason Arday. Arday was Cambridge’s first black professor, who endured an extraordinary media storm in the final weeks of his life. The Trawl ladies examine the 188 articles published about him in just nine days, the racist and hostile commentary that fuelled the story, and the wider questions it raises about who gets scrutinised, who gets forgiven, and who is allowed to belong in positions of power.

They also discuss Nigel Farage’s Clacton victory, Count Binface’s impressive vote share, Lee Anderson’s increasingly surreal defence of Farage, and the UK’s first nationwide emergency alert of the summer.

Plus: some very British flirting, Tolstoy proving that even literary geniuses sometimes can't be bothered, and the usual underrated internet gems.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 - 51min

446 - Trump's Getting Rattled: The Abdul El-Sayed Effect 🔥

In this episode, things go from bad to worse before finally getting a little bit hopeful.

Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte dive into Trump’s latest chaos, the increasingly bizarre state of US politics, vaccine decisions that have them seriously worried, and the extraordinary rise of Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan. Trump's obsession with the Michigan Senate candidate offers a rare glimmer of hope, particularly when the Democratic candidate refuses to play Trump's favourite game of intimidation and personal attacks.

Donald Trump is facing fresh questions over his financial affairs, his administration's handling of the Epstein files, and the increasingly extraordinary conduct of his Justice Department.

The Trawl ladies also get into Trump's increasingly alarming approach to vaccines and public health, the latest developments around Iran, and the growing international backlash against Israel, including powerful interventions from Ram Emanuel and Gabor Maté.

Along the way, there are detours into Andrew Tate's prison complaints, Greg Wallace's anniversary plans, Vanessa Feltz's pink broadcasting palace, Reform's bizarre national anthem rule, and a biometric bra that absolutely nobody asked for.

It's another trawl through the week's politics - it's furious, funny, occasionally hopeful, and with plenty of reasons to wonder what on earth is going on.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 - 44min

445 - Reform Beef & Climate Grief : Data Centres Anyone?

The Trawl is back from holiday, and unfortunately the world hasn't sorted itself out while Jemma and Marina have been away.

This week: Britain is hot, dry and heading for a seriously dodgy harvest, while data centres are springing up demanding vast amounts of energy and water. But don't worry, apparently the answer, according to one journo at The Telegraph is to embrace Mediterranean life and crack open an Aperol.

Plus: Reform's latest dramas, Richard Tice's very shouty standards investigation, Farage's £5 million headache, Elon Musk's latest nonsense, and a reminder that some people are still looking at a planet on fire and thinking everything's absolutely fine.

Come for the climate crisis. Stay for the Reform chaos. And maybe bring a bottle of water.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 - 44min

444 - The Trawl Meets Count Binface!

Count Binface lands on The Trawl just in time to take on Nigel Farage in Clacton and proves, once again, that British politics is now virtually indistinguishable from science fiction.

From 99 Flakes and grabber machines, to sewage, HS2, billionaire donations and why Parliament should relocate to Wheelie, the self-declared intergalactic candidate unveils his latest manifesto while Jemma and Marina discover he's thought more deeply about public policy than quite a few actual politicians.

Plus: why he won't stop the boats (but he will stop the bots), whether he'd rather share a lift with Nigel Farage or a wasp, and why Chris Rea should be Transport Secretary.

Beam yourself aboard. Democracy has never been this gloriously ridiculous.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

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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.

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 - 41min

443 - Trump's Press Dinner Disaster : Fascists, Billionaires, BS

Andrew Tate is back behind bars and somehow tweeting like he's starring in a wartime epic, while Donald Trump spends an hour at the White House Correspondents' Dinner reminding everyone why normalising him remains such a dangerous game. Marina and Jemma pick apart another extraordinary week of political chaos, from Trump's latest constitutional musings and Elon Musk's painfully awkward media appearances to the voices refusing to stay silent on Gaza.

There's also praise for politicians willing to speak plainly, a debate about Sadiq Khan's record, some gloriously savage internet commentary, and an underrated section featuring one of the funniest air fryer threads the internet has ever produced. Plus, if you've ever worried about imposter syndrome, this episode may just make you feel spectacularly qualified.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 - 46min

442 - Burnham's Picky Bits, Body Shaming and CPAC Weirdness

Andy Burnham's honeymoon period is in full swing as the latest polls show Labour nudging ahead of Reform, but is the 'Burnham bounce' here to stay? Marina and Jemma weigh up the new Prime Minister's energetic start, ask whether his Manchester-first approach will win over the rest of Britain, and discuss Zack Polanski's social media mishap.

Elsewhere, they take aim at the body-shaming directed at Andy Burnham's wife, marvel at the gloriously unhinged characters gathered at CPAC UK in another round of Blind Date, and end on a surprisingly fascinating deep dive into... salt. Yes, really. Along the way there's climate chaos, Count Binface wisdom, World War II documentaries, and one of the strangest episodes of The Trawl yet.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 - 41min

441 - Tate Arrested in Capri Pants, Trump's Meltdown & MAGA's Masculinity Crisis

The Tate brothers are arrested in the US as Britain seeks their extradition, Donald Trump delivers yet another fact-free election rant that major US networks refuse to air live, and MAGA's latest obsession with testosterone gets even weirder.

Marina and Jemma look at the growing normalisation of misogyny, unpack an astonishing Fox News clip that comes with a trigger warning, and wonder why JD Vance apparently can't see someone eating an ice cream without feeling awkward.

Plus: capri trousers, loafers, accidental QVC modelling tips, and the usual social media gems that somehow make political chaos almost bearable.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 - 35min

440 - Burnham Bags No.10 as Spain Lift the Cup

The football may be over, but the political drama's only just getting started.

Jemma and Marina celebrate Spain's World Cup victory (for reasons that go well beyond football), marvel at Donald Trump's knack for making every trophy presentation about himself, laugh at the half time shenanigans and bid farewell to Sir Keir Starmer as Andy Burnham arrives in Downing Street.

There's chat about Burnham's first moves as Prime Minister, his surprise Cabinet, and why Count Binface is still causing Nigel Farage more grief than most politicians.

Plus: Jude Bellingham acquires even more admirers, Erling Haaland buys a sixteenth-century Viking book, and Marina and Jemma wonder why on earth anyone listens to a podcast that happily jumps from geopolitics, to football, to Norwegian sagas in the space of five minutes.

Politics, football and glorious internet nonsense - just another week on The Trawl.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 - 42min

439 - England Out, Burnham Speaks on Gaza & Starmer's Final PMQs

England's World Cup dream is over, Burnham's is just beginning. Yes, England are out of the tournament but not before Argentina gave them one final dose of argy-bargy and an ill-judged Falklands banner. Marina and Jemma unpack the match and discuss why a rare moment of warmth between Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch left them strangely emotional.

Elsewhere, Reform UK descend into full panic mode as the government's small boats figures improve and the Trawl ladies discuss Burnham's first comments on Labour's handling of Gaza and why they're dividing opinion. Plus, Elon Musk claims SpaceX will soon be worth more than the entire planet, Gary Stevenson explains why extreme wealth matters to all of us. To finish there's billionaire pudding for afters. Enjoy!

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 - 41min

438 - Ann Widdecombe, Binface and Farage's Five Million

Jemma and Marina try to make sense of another week that somehow outdid even their most chaotic bingo card. They discuss the shocking murder of Ann Widdecombe, why some reactions online were seriously misjudged, and how Nigel Farage's response was caught on camera in 3...2...1.... They also look at the latest twists in Reform UK's funding saga, Count Binface's increasingly hilarious Clacton campaign, Harry Kane's controversial golf partner, Erling Haaland's accidental status as the internet's healthiest role model, and Greg Wallace's baffling morning routine. Politics, football, bins, melons and heatwaves... just another week on The Trawl.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 - 46min

437 - The Trawl Meets Anthony Scaramucci

From the White House to Wall Street, podcast studios to political pile-ons, Anthony Scaramucci has lived several public lives and he's got the stories to prove it. In this candid conversation with The Trawl, "The Mooch" reflects on the 11 days that made him infamous, what he really thinks of Donald Trump now, the state of American politics, and why reinvention is his greatest skill. Expect sharp opinions, surprising admissions, plenty of behind-the-scenes gossip, and a guest who's every bit as entertaining as his reputation suggests. It won’t surprise you to know Marina and Jemma enjoyed the grilling 🙌

Join the The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 - 53min

436 - Trump vs the Beautiful Game

Marina and Jemma have found the one thing Trump hasn't ruined yet...oh wait, no, he's got to football too. This week the pair unpick his reverse Midas touch: one US player gets a red card, Trump gets on the blower to his snivelling little ring-kisser Infantino, and hey presto, the suspension vanishes.

Then our hosts turn to the double standard that'll make your adrenal gland overwork: a masked Patriot Front march through DC gets a lovely police press release respecting their "right to peacefully express their views," while a 67-year-old Olympic canoeist faces ten years for touching a flap of peeling paint.

Marina and Jemma also get into the Epstein files nobody in power will unredact, Kay Burley's most baffling moment, Farage versus Count Binface, Leila Cunningham insisting the CEO of Reform wasn't "politically active", AI machete fakery, and a wholesome choir with a filthy song.

And don't forget, Trawl Meets Anthony Scaramucci lands Monday - political audio porn for your ears. Have a fabulous weekend, trawlers!

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 - 44min

435 - Farage Hits the Panic Button... as Football Brings the Joy ⭐

Farage detonates the internet with a surprise by-election announcement just as questions over undeclared gifts and crypto cash refuse to go away. Marina and Jemma dissect the latest twist, wonder whether it's political genius or pure theatre, and ask who really benefits from dragging Clacton back to the polls.

Elsewhere, England's late-night triumph sparks celebrations (and an unfortunate Jordan Henderson injury), New York's crime figures confound the critics & Reform's polling takes another wobble. Then there's the usual collection of internet brilliance, questionable headlines and pudding to finish.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 - 44min

434 - Perv Glasses & An Empty Fairground: The Great American Flop

In this Trawl, Jemma and Marina dig into Andy Burnham's big speech, ask whether he really could be Britain's next Prime Minister, and examine why parts of the left, right and media all have something to argue about.

They also celebrate Elon Musk slipping back from trillionaire status, question the ever-growing wealth of the Royal Family, laugh at Donald Trump's sparsely attended "Great American State Fair", and discuss why Meta's new AI glasses are raising serious privacy concerns.

Plus: Zia Yusuf's awkward Question Time moment, why violence against women is still too often minimised in public discourse, and the underrated tweets and clips that round off the week.

Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 - 45min

433 - Heatwaves, Hot Air Takes & Farage's £5 Million Problem

Last week, politics wasn't the only thing making Jemma and Marina hot under the collar - the weather was and they were melting. Literally.

Britain has sweltered through record-breaking temperatures, so the Trawl ladies look at the growing mountain of evidence that climate change is no longer a future problem because it's happening right now. So why are so many TV pundits still insisting it's "just summer"? From GB News to LBC, they dissect the spectacularly bad takes from people sitting comfortably in air-conditioned studios while teachers, commuters and NHS staff deal with the reality.

Then they turn to Nigel Farage's increasingly uncomfortable media tour, as questions mount over his £5 million gift from a crypto billionaire. After years of demanding transparency from everyone else, why is he suddenly so keen to tell everyone to mind their own business?

Expect plenty of righteous fury, a few laughs and Cilla Black makes an unexpected return.

Join the The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 - 41min

432 - Trump's Worst Week: Defeated by Iran, Italy & Algae - Then Humiliated at Versailles

Trump's having quite the week... He's been defeated by algae (sabotage, obviously), couldn't do up a medal ribbon, got blanked by every world leader at the G7, and then signed what experts are calling a catastrophic Iran deal — in the actual room in Versailles where Germany surrendered after WWI. The pure poetry of it all!

Meanwhile Meloni delivers the clapback of the century ("neither I nor Italy ever beg" - Jemma wants it on a t-shirt, immediately), the Strait of Hormuz closes approximately twelve minutes after a ceasefire, and the UN confirms genocide in Gaza. Plus underrateds, Marina making the case for a fifth Trawl, Jemma back on the dating apps for the 98th time, and Jonathan Pie for pudding.

Stay hydrated, Trawlers!

Join the The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 - 37min

431 - You're Barred Katie Hopkins: The Pub That Got It Right and the Politicians Who Didn't

A pub in Bethnal Green looked up, clocked who'd walked in, and collectively decided: not here, love. Katie Hopkins was shown the door. She did not go gracefully. Marina and Jemma are delighted - but one pub doing the right thing doesn't mean the country is...

This week they unpick what feels like a genuine shift: Elon Musk platforming Tommy Robinson, Lord Hannan's baffling racist football tweet, Rupert Lowe's crowdfunded grooming gangs report, and an attack on Muslim men in Edinburgh. All connected.

Plus: schools melting, the Mooch Trawl Meets incoming, and a woman who ate Pringles horizontally for two days and went viral.

Join the The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 - 34min

430 - Keir We Go Again : Starmer Exits, Footy and Farage

Nigel Farage gets caught recycling an old England supporter photo, proving once again that authenticity isn't really his game. The Trawl ladies revel in a glorious montage of his Question Time appearances, hear James O'Brien's disbelief and ask why politicians always seem to own a fancy-dress box full of high-vis jackets and football shirts.

Elsewhere, the political landscape shifts dramatically as Keir Starmer resigns, prompting a look at what his leadership leaves behind and what comes next, with Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner and Zack Polanski all entering the conversation.

Plus: Ian Wright says what we're all thinking about Trump's America hosting the World Cup, Emma Hayes delivers a masterclass in a set that looks suspiciously like a kitchen. Jemma and Marina appreciate the internet's latest football crush, enjoy an Australian chant that deserves a place in the terraces hall of fame, and finish with a pudding guaranteed to send you off smiling.

Politics, football and the internet at their chaotic best, it's all in today's Trawl.

Join the The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 - 45min

429 - Makerfield Said No - Burnham, Bell Ends & Boarding School

For one glorious moment, Makerfield became the centre of the political universe, and what a moment it was.

Jemma and Marina rewind the clock to relive Andy Burnham's emphatic by-election win, celebrate Robert Kenyon's spectacular defeat and ask whether Reform UK's momentum has finally hit a few inconvenient speed bumps. They also marvel at the increasingly surreal Sarah Pochin, wonder what Nigel Farage is plotting next and revel in some truly exceptional online reactions.

Elsewhere, Prince William proves he's just like the rest of us by... sending Prince George to Eton, the Bell End of the Week competition reaches new heights, Cilla returns to play Blind Date with some familiar political faces and Russell Kane serves up this week's pudding.

Politics, pomp, petty nonsense and plenty of laughs. Just another day on The Trawl.

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 - 47min

428 - Kids' Social Media Ban & Starmer's Defence Revolt

Starmer's government is facing another defence row after senior figures quit over military spending, reigniting questions about Britain's preparedness, Russia's growing threat and whether billions more should be poured into defence while public services struggle.

Meanwhile, Labour's proposed ban on social media for under-16s has sparked a fierce debate. Will it protect young people from online harm, or is it a sticking-plaster solution that lets tech companies off the hook? Marina and Jemma dig into the arguments, hear what young people themselves have to say, and ask whether we're tackling the real problem.

Plus: Tommy Robinson's latest grift, overnight oats discourse, and a heart-warming update on the Ugandan nurse whose story moved so many Trawlers.

As ever, there's rage, nuance, laughter and a pudding to send you into the weekend.

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

The link to support Sumayah and Stella who are support workers left homeless after the Belfast riots is here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-care-worker-left-homeless-after-belfast-riots

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 - 43min

427 - UFC White House, Tragic Trillionaire and The Art of The Deal 😏

Marina and Jemma try to wrap their heads around the arrival of the world's first trillionaire. Just how much money is a trillion dollars, and what does it say about modern society that one man can accumulate that level of wealth while millions struggle?

They also dive into Gwyneth Paltrow's eyebrow-raising appearance in a luxury Israeli property campaign, Trump's increasingly bizarre White House UFC extravaganza, and the jaw-dropping comments aimed at Michelle Obama during the event.

Plus, the pair unpack Trump's latest Iran deal, ask whether the self-proclaimed master negotiator has managed to outdo himself in spectacular fashion, and take a look at some of the more surreal moments emerging from the World Cup.

Expect outrage, disbelief, dark humour and plenty of "for f's sake" moments along the way.

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 - 46min

426 - The Belfast Pogroms & the People Excusing Them

Marina and Jemma have been away for a short break, unfortunately Britain hasn't exactly held itself together while they've been away.

In this Trawl, they tackle the racist violence that erupted in Belfast, why calling it a "riot" doesn't come close to describing what happened, and the politicians, pundits and social media moguls helping to fan the flames.

They look at the shocking media takes that followed, from attempts to justify the attacks to outright denial of what was unfolding in plain sight. Plus, why are anti-genocide protesters and Palestine Action activists facing tougher consequences than some of the people terrorising families in their homes?

There's also a tribute to the late David Hockney, whose life and work brought colour to millions, a roundup of the week's most jaw-dropping commentary, and a healthy serving of underrateds and pudding.

It's a heavy one. But some weeks demand it.

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 - 36min

425 - Ivanka's Island, Trump's Pool & a Very Angry Albania

Marina and Jemma dive into Trump's increasingly chaotic behaviour, the World Cup visa fiasco, and the extraordinary protests sweeping Albania, where thousands are taking on billionaire land grabs in what protesters are calling the Flamingo Revolution.

Meanwhile, Trump is sleeping through basketball games, storming out of interviews and comparing the size of his beloved reflecting pool to skyscrapers.

Along the way, there's a brilliant masterclass in debating misogyny from Dean Withers, a reminder that billionaires still wanting more might be one of humanity's great unsolved mysteries, and a pudding courtesy of the late, great Steve Irwin that restores a little faith in what real strength looks like.

From vanity projects and billionaire entitlement to people finally pushing back, this week's Trawl asks a simple question: why are we letting these people have everything?

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 - 48min

424 - Question Time Carnage, Vance Comes for Britain & Pride Fights Back

In this episode Jemma and Marina are trawling through a week so full of weapons-grade stupidity they barely know where to start. But first first, they take the opportunity to say Happy Pride Month, Trawlers.

Comedian James Barr absolutely dismantles conservative commentator Michael Knowles live on Piers Morgan Uncensored, and it is glorious. Reform's candidate for Makerfield, Robert Kenyon, somehow survives Question Time despite his brain leaving the building. The audience's contempt was, frankly, delicious. Then JD Vance wades into British politics with a tweet so pernicious and so factually wrong that even David Lammy lands a few good punches in response.

Plus: Reform weaponising the prostate cancer screening announcement, the press's very selective outrage, why "I was raised by my mum" is not the defence against sexism Rob Kenyon thinks it is, Durham Pride getting a beautiful solidarity-fuelled upgrade, and the horrifying stat that puts the whole week in perspective.

Furious? You should be. But at least you're furious with friends.

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 - 43min

423 - The Cost of Being Young, Job Hunting & Katie Price

Marina and Jemma dive into the growing crisis facing young people in Britain.

With more than a million young people now classed as NEETs (not in education, employment or training), they explore why finding work has become so difficult, why endless application processes are leaving candidates exhausted and demoralised, and why many feel the social contract has broken down completely.

Featuring clips from across social media and the political landscape, they discuss everything from impossible job requirements and AI-driven recruitment to housing costs, stagnant wages and the growing sense that younger generations are being asked to work harder for less.

They also examine what countries like the Netherlands are doing differently, whether politicians are finally waking up to the scale of the problem, and why an entire generation increasingly feels locked out of the future.

Plus: a brief detour into the never-ending Katie Price saga, an unexpectedly profound discussion about social media and loneliness, and a pudding that perfectly captures the absurdity of today's jobs market.

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 - 43min

422 - Farage Crawls Out, Riots Break Out & Bartlett's Three Glasses of Wine

Marina and Jemma kick things off with a spirited takedown of "optimisation culture" - sparked by a viral clip of Diary of a CEO's Stephen Bartlett dramatically declaring that three glasses of wine ruined his life (his Whoop watch told him so). Marina and Jemma are not having it. Yes, sleep matters, yes, balance is key - but why are we KPI-ing ourselves into misery? As Marina puts it: you don't need to arrive in your coffin in pristine condition FFS.

Then things get darker. Marina and Jemma turn to the heartbreaking and senseless murder of Henry Nowak in Southampton and the utterly vile opportunism that followed - Nigel Farage crawling out from under his rock (after missing 77 consecutive parliamentary votes, by the way) to tell people to feel "cold rage," while Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson piled on. The family asked for unity. These people chose riots.

There's also the ongoing Reform chaos, including a truly painful interview with would-be MP Robert Kenyon, whose main defence for not understanding maternity policy is essentially "it doesn't affect me." Checks out.

They close on some much-needed lightness: a Springsteen lyric that will ruin a song for you forever, a brilliant man absolutely flooring a misogynist in debate, and a stunning Emmy speech from journalist Josh Rushing that, just about, restores your faith in humanity. Three glasses of wine optional...

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 - 51min

421 - Blair & Murrell : Chopsticks, Kettles & Net Zero

Marina and Jemma wade into the internet frenzy surrounding Donald Trump’s extremely strange White House pillar moment, the increasingly odd questions around his health, and why he apparently skipped his own son’s wedding.

Then it’s over to Scotland, where the pair unpack Peter Murrell’s extraordinary £400k spending spree involving luxury pens, kettles, chopsticks and enough bizarre purchases to accidentally turn the episode into a very disturbing edition of The Generation Game.

Plus: Tony Blair pops up to tell everyone to calm down about net zero, Marina prepares to battle Reform on Jeremy Vine, and Gavin Williamson mourns his tarantula in what may be the most baffling BBC headline ever written.

There are also live show updates, climate facts, sensory play chat absolutely nobody asked for, and a growing concern that Marina may know far too much about niche fetishes.

Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Thu, 28 May 2026 - 43min

420 - Heatwave Britain & Reform's Sexist Summer

In this Trawl, Marina and Jemma survive Britain’s latest heatwave, the London Underground sauna experience, and yet another deeply questionable Reform candidate.

They dive into the climate conversation nobody seems to want to have anymore and discuss whether “doom fatigue” has pushed climate change down the political agenda.

Plus: the latest Reform UK chaos, misogynistic comments from would-be politicians, councillors wildly out of their depth, and why Parliament perhaps shouldn’t resemble an open-mic night for angry Facebook commenters.

Elsewhere there’s Jane McDonald, holiday romance confessions, furious ranting, sweaty train journeys, parallel parking bragging rights, and one of the greatest misunderstood song lyrics of all time.

Cool yourselves down. This one gets fiery.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Thu, 28 May 2026 - 41min

419 - The Trawl Meets Tessa Dunlop

Historian and Broadcaster, Tessa Dunlop, joins Jemma and Marina for a gloriously wide-ranging conversation about monarchy, British identity and the fury of being an outspoken woman in public life. From her PhD on Romanian royalty to why she believes King Charles still gives Britain “soft power” on the world stage, Tessa brings nuance, history and plenty of passion to some of the most divisive debates of the moment.

The trio chat Trump, royal diplomacy and whether Prince Andrew is a “seeping wound” for the monarchy, before diving into Meghan and Harry, Britishness, Brexit, immigration, and why Romanian teenagers demanding a GCSE in their mother tongue actually made Tessa proud to be British. They get candid about the media industry, the “authority gap” facing opinionated women, and why being left-leaning can make you professionally radioactive.

There’s laughter, disagreement, conversation about Iain Dale, and a brilliantly enraged clip involving Laurence Fox and Jeremy Clarkson that leaves everyone cheering. A fantastic Trawl Meets. Enjoy!

Tessa's book 'The Bletchley Girls' Is 99p on the Kindle Store for the month of June. Head to https://amzn.eu/d/02Zf7PsV get a copy and also check out her other titles while you're there.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Tue, 26 May 2026 - 1h 01min

418 - The Kentucky Primary That Broke America

In this Trawl, Marina and Jemma dive headfirst into what might be the most jaw-dropping week of Trump 2.0 so far.

From claims of billion-dollar “slush funds” and eye-watering stock trades to the political takedown of Republican congressman Thomas Massie after he pushed for the Epstein files release, the corruption alarms are deafening. The pair unpack the terrifying power of MAGA loyalty, the growing influence of billionaire donors and lobbying groups, and why so many Americans are starting to feel utterly powerless watching it all unfold.

Plus: RFK Jr on Joe Rogan, Elon Musk’s latest nonsense, the staggering amount of misinformation flooding social media, and why even Lululemon somehow ended up in the culture war.

There’s rage. There’s despair. There’s Trump’s comb-over in a wind tunnel. And somewhere in the middle of it all, a very wholesome story about periods.

Basically: the world is on fire, but at least we’ve got each other.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Thu, 21 May 2026 - 51min

417 - Flags, Far Right Fury & Terrible Singing

Marina and Jemma dive into the chaos surrounding Tommy Robinson’s “Unite the Kingdom” rally, from the anti-Muslim rhetoric and media silence to the genuinely astonishing musical performances that may qualify as crimes against audio.

They unpack why anger and misinformation spread so easily online, question where the press coverage disappeared to, and look at what happens when algorithms replace shared reality. There’s also Led By Donkeys trolling the march to perfection, a powerful response from faith leaders and broadcasters, and - because balance is important - perhaps the bleakest edition of Blind Date ever recorded.

Funny, furious and occasionally despairing, this episode asks: what kind of country are we becoming… and why was that singing so catastrophically bad?

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 20 May 2026 - 45min

416 - The Makerfield Gamble & Wes Side Story

Marina and Jemma are spiralling over Labour’s risky civil war.

With Andy Burnham heading into the hugely consequential Makerfield by-election, Wes Streeting apparently eyeing the top job, and Reform circling like sharks, the pair ask: how the hell did we end up here already?

There’s fury over Brexit being dragged back from the dead, despair at the state of political discourse, confusion over Eurovision, and a growing sense that liberal democracies everywhere are entering their “what could possibly go wrong?” era.

Plus: globe-faced insults, emotional support via concert tickets, and perhaps the most stressful by-election since England last went to penalties.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 20 May 2026 - 48min

415 - Welcome to Loserville: Musk's Midnight Musings & Trump's Oval Office Nap

Jemma and Marina take a break from UK political chaos to zoom out and survey the wider world... and it's not pretty.

From Trump's increasingly hard-to-deny Oval Office napping to unravelling ceasefire negotiations in the Middle East, the Trawl ladies serve up their trademark mix of righteous fury and sharp humour. Marina's been deep in Italian passport paperwork (backup plan activated should Farage get in), Jemma's fantasising about a one-way ticket to Lisbon with absolutely zero logistics sorted, and somehow Amsterdam enters the chat as a genuine option.

There's a detour to Loserville thanks to Musk's midnight musings, a deep dive into Trump's chaotic social media timeline, and a satirical clip of British police officers that is uncannily accurate.

On the brighter side: the BAFTAs delivered - from a Gaza documentary winning despite BBC cowardice, to Martin Lewis being rightfully crowned a national treasure (Marina may have developed a crush). The episode wraps with a Lincoln Project ad airing at Trump's own golf tournament, and the small matter of the trawlers' very first ever live show happening that same evening. Eek!

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Thu, 14 May 2026 - 42min

414 - Absolute Scenes in Labour HQ: It's Not Ideal Trawlers

Marina and Jemma wade through the chaos engulfing Labour after the bruising local election results, cabinet resignations, media pile-ons and growing calls for Starmer to go. Is this sensible political pressure… or another self-destructive Westminster psychodrama?

They discuss:

whether Labour is repeating the Tories’ revolving-door mistakesAndy Burnham, Wes Streeting and possible leadership contenderswhy Reform’s rise is terrifying so many votersthe role of the press in shaping public opinionwhether Starmer has fundamentally misunderstood his own voter baseand why Brexit continues to haunt literally everything

Plus: Alastair Campbell delivers the speech Starmer probably wishes he’d given, Marina nearly collapses from sniffing, and the pair remain - as ever - gloriously uncertain about absolutely everything.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 13 May 2026 - 48min

413 - Reform Gains: Just Take the Bloody Bins Out

The local election results are in and… bloody hell.

In this Trawl, Jemma and Marina dig into Reform UK’s huge gains, Labour’s mounting panic, and the increasingly chaotic state of British politics. Was this a genuine political realignment, a protest vote, or something much darker bubbling away underneath?

From viral clips and media narratives to Nigel Farage, culture wars, dodgy campaign tactics, and the terrifying power of algorithms, the pair try to answer the question everyone’s asking right now: how seriously should we take Reform?

Plus: why some voters still don’t seem to connect political choices with real-world consequences, why the press scrutiny appears wildly uneven depending on who’s in the firing line, and why some Reform-led councils may become the party’s biggest problem before the next general election.

There are also lighter moments involving Sir David Attenborough, pudding-based dystopias, and outrageous clips.

It’s a long one. But then, there’s an awful lot to talk about.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 13 May 2026 - 52min

412 - Met Gala Hunger Games & Trumpy Bedtime Stories

Jemma and Marina dive headfirst into the Met Gala circus from impossible outfits and billionaires playing dress-up, to the growing backlash against celebrity excess in a world on fire.

They also tackle Trump casually floating a third term, Nigel Farage mysteriously dodging scrutiny over Reform’s mega-money backers, and why parts of the media seem determined to ignore some scandals while amplifying others.

Plus: RFK Jr’s toe-curling Trump worship, a Reform candidate’s racist tweets, LinkedIn lunacy, and the eternal question, how exactly do celebrities wee at the Met Gala?

As ever, it’s bleak, ridiculous and somehow still funny.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Thu, 07 May 2026 - 49min

411 - Polanski, Protests & A Very Heated Week

It’s been one of those weeks where the temperature of public discourse didn’t just rise, it boiled over.

Marina and Jemma both appeared on daytime TV in the immediate aftermath of the Golders Green attacks. Emotions were already running high, details were still emerging, and the pressure to say the “right” thing while not saying the “wrong” thing was intense.

They talk about the subsequent social media reaction and how the media are reporting things more broadly. Why do the Tories and Labour think it's OK to ban pro Palestine marches whilst still allowing the Tommy Robinson ones to continue? What is being focused on, what isn't and why that might be? Meanwhile, politicians of all flavours are targeting Zack Polanski over an inadvisable retweet and there are fresh calls to shut down pro-Palestine marches. When the facts are still emerging, why does the narrative lock in so fast?

Pudding is an exasperated Jonathan Pie ranting appropriately ahead of the council elections - Enjoy!

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Tue, 05 May 2026 - 52min

410 - Royal Bants in DC & A Gifted Bell

Jemma and Marina are back in full chaotic form, slightly sleep-deprived, deeply opinionated, and absolutely not holding back.

They unpack the horror of a North London stabbing and the questions it raises, before diving headfirst into the surreal spectacle of Donald Trump hosting King Charles III, a meeting that somehow involved Magna Carta shade, a gifted bell, and a lot of very British side-eye.

Along the way there's a meltdown over Melania Trump vs Jimmy Kimmel, a rant about media bias (hello Ed Balls), and why Americans calling London a “hellscape” might want to take a long, hard look at their own backyard.

Plus hypocrisy klaxons, accidental near-scandals in the Good Morning Britain green room, and one very satisfying doorbell moment.

It’s messy, it’s funny, it’s slightly unhinged, it’s The Trawl.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Fri, 01 May 2026 - 45min

409 - Botox Bollox, Boozy MPs & a Five Million Pound 'Gift'

In this Trawl, Jemma and Marina take on everything from outdated beauty standards to the increasingly surreal state of UK politics.

There’s fury over a jaw-dropping tabloid takedown of Cameron Diaz, a debate about whether Westminster has a drinking problem, and a deep dive into political messaging that raises more questions than it answers.

Plus: claims, counterclaims and confusion around campaign tactics, viral clips that feel almost too bizarre to be real, and yet more examples of how modern politics often blurs the line between serious and absurd.

Throw in AI-generated oddities, questionable adverts, and some truly baffling public reactions, and you’ve got an episode that’s equal parts funny, frustrating and hard to look away from.

As ever, they scroll so you don’t have to.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 - 41min

408 - Shots Fired at The White House & Marathon Heroes

Jemma and Marina start with the emotional highs of the London Marathon: stories of resilience, community and the kind of humanity that restores your faith in people. Then they take a sharp hand brake turn into the chaos of global politics.

From a dramatic incident at a White House event to the online reaction that followed, Jemma and Marina wade through fact, speculation and the sheer pace of modern news. There’s talk of late-night posting sprees, political theatre, and how quickly serious moments risk becoming just another scroll.

Plus: a headline-grabbing interview moment, a viral TV appearance that has to be heard to be believed, and a reminder that in 2026, the line between reality and absurdity feels thinner than ever.

It’s funny, unsettling, occasionally baffling and very much the world we’re living in.

Enjoy!

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 - 40min

407 - Bias, Bombings & Batshit Takes

Jemma and Marina are back in the scroll, picking apart the stories, headlines and takes that have everyone talking, pondering and shouting.

They get into growing frustration with the way global events are framed, and why some stories seem to get all the attention while others barely register. There’s a look at how international law is being talked about (and sometimes ignored), plus the narratives shaping coverage of Israel, Gaza and Lebanon.

Back on home turf, Nigel Farage and Reform are having a bit of a moment with a headline-grabbing stunt that’s raised more eyebrows than applause.

Elsewhere, there’s a chaotic night out involving politics on the dancefloor, a genuinely surprising story of someone leaving the English Defence League, and a reminder that even in the noise, small shifts in perspective can still happen.

It’s sharp, it’s funny, it’s occasionally exasperated but there’s enough to keep you thinking long after you’ve stopped scrolling.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 - 37min

406 - The Pope, Pulp Fiction & Wild Presidential Claims

In this Trawl, we're heading Stateside because, frankly, you can’t look away.

From Pentagon prayer sessions to a defence secretary apparently quoting Pulp Fiction as scripture, Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte try (and fail) to make sense of the latest chaos unfolding in US politics. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is back making sweeping claims about Iran, the Pope, and global diplomacy many of which don’t quite stand up to scrutiny.

As tensions escalate around the Strait of Hormuz, questions swirl about what’s really going on behind the scenes and who, if anyone, is actually in control.

Plus: MAGA vs the Pope, market-moving statements, political hypocrisy, and one truly unhinged news cycle.

Confused? So are we. Let’s trawl through it together.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 - 33min

405 - Starmer Drama & A Website From Hell

Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte wade through the latest Westminster psychodrama involving Keir Starmer, Peter Mandelson, and a row that refuses to die. Is it a genuine scandal or just political noise drowning out far more urgent stories?

Because while the media obsesses over Whitehall intrigue, and there is TRIGGER WARNING for this part of the episode, something far darker is barely being covered: a disturbing online forum where men share advice and footage on drugging and assaulting their partners. Yes, really. The hosts unpack what’s been reported, why it hasn’t led the news cycle, and what it says about whose safety actually matters.

Plus: Reform chaos, Richard Tice’s tax questions, parliamentary theatrics, and the small matter of who—if anyone—is fit to run the country.

Equal parts fury and fatigue, this is the week’s chaos, carefully trawled.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 - 43min

404 - The Trawl Meets Sir Bill Browder

The Trawl sits down with Sir Bill Browder, the man Vladimir Putin would very much prefer stayed quiet. From exposing corruption at the heart of the Kremlin to spearheading the global Magnitsky sanctions, Browder’s story is part financial thriller, part political crusade. He joins The Trawl to talk oligarchs, accountability, and why the fight against kleptocracy is far from over.

In the first half, Jemma and Marina dive into Bill's extraordinary life story from the wild west of post-Soviet Russia, to exposing corruption among powerful oligarchs, being expelled from the country, and the devastating death of his lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky. It’s a deeply personal account of risk, loss, and a relentless pursuit of justice that led to the creation of the Magnitsky sanctions.

In the second half, they shift to present day and unpack the current geopolitical moment. From Russia’s global strategy and the war in Ukraine to questions around Western sanctions, disinformation, and political influence in the UK, Browder helps make sense of an increasingly unstable world and what it all means for democracy.

It’s a conversation that moves from the intensely personal to the globally political and it's one you won’t want to miss.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 - 57min

403 - Reform Raffle, Tory Receipts & Starmer Confusion

Marina and Jemma are back in the trenches, sifting through the chaos so you don’t have to.

In this episode, why Keir Starmer can be both competent and deeply frustrating, a baffling “free energy bills” stunt linked to Nigel Farage, and yet more questions swirling around Reform’s candidates and Tice's company tax affairs.

There’s also a diplomatic cringe moment featuring David Lammy and JD Vance, a Tory hypocrisy masterclass, and a reminder that British politics remains, above all else, spectacularly weird.

Plus: unconscious bias checks, Brexit queue rage, a genuinely heartening vox pop, and an underrated section that delivers exactly what it promises.

It’s messy, it’s ranty, it’s occasionally unhinged. It’s The Trawl.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 - 38min

402 - Trump vs Pope, AI Jesus & What the Melania?!

This Trawl begins, as you do, with Melania Trump making a deeply strange, entirely unprompted statement insisting she has “nothing to do with Epstein”, a denial so out of nowhere it immediately raises more questions than it answers.

And somehow, that’s just the start.

Because this week also brings Donald Trump recasting himself as Jesus in a social media post that’s as revealing as it is absurd, while the Pope steps into the global conversation - a reminder of how power, influence and image still intersect on the world stage.

Meanwhile, in Lebanon, the situation continues to deteriorate with escalating violence and humanitarian consequences that should be leading the news, but aren’t.

From surreal distractions to stories of real-world consequence, Jemma and Marina track what gets amplified, what gets ignored, and why.

Because when the headlines veer from messianic self-posting to pre-emptive denials, it’s worth asking what we’re not being made to look at.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 - 46min

401 - Orbán Out & Trump Blocks Blockade

Marina and Jemma dive into Hungarian celebrations. After 16 years of authoritarian rule, Viktor Orbán is gone and the scenes coming out of Budapest were unreal. Thousands took to the streets to celebrate Péter Magyar's win. But what does it actually mean for Europe, Ukraine, and the wider populist movement?

From there, it’s straight into the latest Trump madness, including contradictory claims of 'victory', escalating tensions with Iran, and the now-infamous 'blockade of a blockade.' As ever, the gap between rhetoric and reality is doing some heavy lifting.

Plus: JD Vance’s less-than-helpful interventions (chocolate teapot anyone?) diplomacy via UFC appearances, and the internet turning global instability into top-tier memes.

It’s geopolitics, but make it unhinged.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 - 38min

400 - 100 Bombs in 10 Minutes & Still No Backbone: Plus Hegseth & Bondi

It’s been one of those weeks where, every time you think it can’t escalate further… it absolutely does.

Jemma and Marina mull over the ceasefire which lasted all of five minutes due to Israel bombing Lebanon and vent their frustration at Starmer and Cooper who haven't yet condemned the atrocities.

Plus: firings, firings, more firings. Pam Bondi has gone and so have some of the most senior generals in the US army. They discuss the subsequent appointments, and examine the kind of political logic that only works if no one asks questions.

It’s messy, it’s infuriating, and yet there are still some moments of levity.

The Trawl ladies have worked out how to reply to a simple 'how are you?' It's 'All things considered?… fine.'

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 - 47min

398 - Reform Freefall & Marmalade Madness

In this Trawl, Marina and Jemma take on one of the dumbest outrage cycles in recent memory. Yes, it's the “EU marmalade scandal” (completely made up, obviously) and some politicians and papers have swallowed it whole and are extremely incensed about it all.

While the right scrambles to get furious about citrus, the pair dig into what’s actually going on: Reform wobbling in the polls, chaos behind the scenes, and Nigel Farage popping up to weaponise Easter like it’s part of a greatest hits tour.

There are dodgy claims, culture war nonsenses, and yet another reminder that the loudest voices are often shouting about the least important things.

Basically: if you’ve ever wondered what happens when the outrage machine runs out of ideas, this is it.

Sharp, sweary, and zero patience for bullshit.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 - 34min

397 - PHEW! A Whole Civilisation Wasn’t Nuked

It was one of those nights where going to bed felt… uncertain.

After a late-night post from Donald Trump sent the internet into meltdown, the world briefly found itself holding its breath, doom-scrolling, spiralling, and wondering what might come next. From rumours of escalation to very real geopolitical tension, the Trawl ladies try to make sense of a news cycle that felt anything but normal.

Marina and Jemma dig into the reaction online (from panic to full-blown denial), the politics behind the brinkmanship, and how quickly narratives can shift from “unthinkable” to “just another headline.” Plus: media moments that raised eyebrows, commentary that missed the mark, and the internet doing what it does best...coping in real time.

It’s messy, it’s surreal, and at times it was genuinely frightening.

And yet Jemma and Marina still find time for underrateds and a palate cleanser at the end.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 - 48min

396 - Easter Basket Case: Dark Side of the Moon, Darker Side of Earth

It’s been a weekend of extremes. Marina and Jemma start with a rare moment of awe as they consider the Artemis mission and those breath-taking images of Earth before crashing straight back down into a news cycle that feels increasingly chaotic and surreal. From horrific, sweary 5am presidential posts to rising global tensions and questions over leadership, they unpack the moments that left everyone glued to their phones over Easter.

Along the way, they cut through the noise with sharp commentary, dark humour, and listener-favourite clips, calling out the contradictions, the absurdity, and the very real human cost behind the headlines. It’s light and shade in its purest form: wonder, anger, disbelief and a running question of how much more unhinged things can get.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 - 47min

395 - Joy, Noise & People Power: Wot No Coverage?

A very Friday feeling Trawl. Jemma and Marina are back on the scroll, cutting through the chaos with equal parts rage, wit, and ridiculousness.

They begin with the utter farce of daylight saving time and a Question Timebooking that raises serious questions. Mainly, why?

Then the Trawl ladies discuss the powerful, joyful anti–far right march that the mainstream somehow managed to side-line They also precis what has been a spectacularly bad week for Nigel Farage.

Plus: the internet at its finest (and worst), from elite-level insults to accidental comedy gold.

Smart, sharp, and just unhinged enough—

it’s The Trawl doing what it does best.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 - 42min

394 - Cognitive Decline Meet Geopolitics: Confidently Clueless

Trump’s back on the mic and it’s… Sharpies, sex, and 'aced' dementia tests while the world edges closer to chaos.

Marina and Jemma wade through the surreal: from Trump confusing cognitive screenings with IQ tests, to casually musing about seizing Iran’s oil like it’s on a tapas menu. Meanwhile, his administration openly flirts with war crimes, hands out awards for sycophancy, and somehow finds time to discuss ballroom renovations mid-conflict.

There’s dark absurdity (a literal assassination GoFundMe), genuine fear (what happens if Karg Island is targeted), and the creeping reality that global stability may hinge on one man’s ego.

Plus: brain-fart moments, EastEnders-style geopolitics, listener stories that hit hard, and a reminder that even in the bin fire humanity still exists.

It’s chaotic. It’s bleak. It’s occasionally hilarious.

It’s The Trawl. Enjoy!

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 - 45min

393 - Stop The World, We Want To Get Off (When Allies Face No Consequences)

It’s one of those episodes.

Marina and Jemma try (and occasionally fail) to keep it together as they wade through a week of escalating horror: war rhetoric, media apathy, and leaders who seem either missing in action or actively making things worse. From the sheer scale of the US “No Kings” protests to the deeply disturbing reality unfolding across Iran, Israel and Lebanon, this is a conversation driven by anger, disbelief and a desperate need to make sense of it all.

They ask the question many are thinking: why does it feel like the world isn’t reacting? Is it apathy, overwhelm, or something more uncomfortable?

There are moments of dark humour (because it’s The Trawl), but this one pulls no punches on Trump, on global leadership, on media coverage, and on the growing sense that ordinary people are being left shouting into the void.

Plus: a truly unhinged MAGA money grab, CPAC chaos, and proof that sometimes the most honest commentary is coming from random people online.

It’s cathartic, it’s furious, and it’s very, very real.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 - 45min

392 - What are Ofcom Doing? A Great British Shrug

In this Trawl, Jemma and Marina coin a new state of being (“fucktioning”) before diving headfirst into a world that feels increasingly unhinged.

From a tribute to Married At First Sight expert Mel Schilling, to the unbearable reality of injustice in Gaza and a horrific story about a little baby boy who was tortured by members of the IDF, the emotional whiplash is real. There’s rage, grief and a necessary pause to cling onto moments of good, because honestly, what’s the alternative?

Meanwhile, in The New World, Alan Rusbridger dissects how Ofcom has become slow, cautious and dangerously easy to outmanoeuvre while broadcasters push further into partisan territory without consequence. Jemma and Marina wonder, if the rules exist but no one enforces them… are they rules at all?

Add in political grifters, media double standards, and a system that increasingly looks like it’s shrugging rather than safeguarding and you’re left with a question.

Is this incompetence… or quiet permission?

To sign the petition relating to the Media Sovereignty act, click here: https://mediasovereignty.org/petition/

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 - 33min

391 - TACO Trump & the 48 Hour Countdown.

BS, Bluster & Backlash

Jemma and Marina return with a properly unhinged dispatch from a world that seems to be teetering somewhere between “carry on as normal” and “is this how it all ends?”

As tensions with Iran escalate (then de-escalate… then escalate again), they unpack the latest chaos surrounding Donald Trump from threats on Truth Social to mysterious “talks” that may or may not exist, and the market moves that have raised some very big questions.

They dive into the surreal reality of working, parenting and doing Teams calls while wondering if WW3 is about to kick off, why global alliances are shifting and the increasingly bizarre decision-making at the top of US politics.

Plus: AI Trump as Ayatollah, Marco Rubio potentially running the Strait of Hormuz, and why medieval peasant snacks might be the only sane coping strategy left.

It’s chaotic, it’s dark, it’s occasionally ridiculous but hopefully it helps make sense of a moment that doesn’t make much sense at all.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 - 39min

390 - Tice's Tax, Mandy's Money: War, Grift & Palantir Unmasked

Trump’s regretting a war he can’t explain, his own counter terrorism chief has walked, and even his podcast fanboys are starting to wobble. Meanwhile, here in Blighty, Starmer’s juggling Mandelson fallout and the Trawl ladies are horrified by the creeping Palantir influence, as tech billionaires get a little too comfortable playing politics. Marina and Jemma can't believe what one Palantir boss is admitting out loud.

Then, Richard Tice talks patriotism while taking full advantage of perfectly legal tax structures which means he can shave 600K off his bill. Lucky him! And so interesting given what he had to say about Angela Rayner's 40K discrepancy. Hypocritical much? Meanwhile, Reform’s finest are busy monetising outrage on Cameo.

It’s chaos, hypocrisy and a hefty dose of buyer’s remorse.

A Saturday Night Live pudding takes the edge off.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 - 42min

389 - The Trawl Meets Alastair Campbell

From the realities of political life today to looking back on the Blair years, Campbell is open, considered and surprisingly candid about the pressures, the mistakes, and why he thinks Starmer is getting it right, even if the public don't. Marina and Jemma cover everything from global politics to The Rest Is Politics.

There are thoughtful moments, a few laughs, and glimpses of the personal side you don’t always hear from family dynamics to podcast partnerships.

A fascinating deep dive but don't worry, no bagpipes

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 - 1h 05min

388 - Anyone Seen Trump’s Marbles? Presidential Ramblings & Clown Shoes

There's nothing remotely funny about war and yet the latest utterings from The White House are so batshit, Jemma and Marina have to laugh. Because if you don't....etc. Tune in for global chaos with a side of clownery. Trump declares victory… then immediately begs the world for help. The Strait of Hormuz turns into a geopolitical panic button, NATO says “absolutely not,” and the internet says “we told you so.”

Meanwhile, Pete Hegseth appears to be auditioning for Dr Seuss Does War Crimes, Marco Rubio’s shoes are having their own crisis, and somehow somehow this might all be distracting from the Epstein files.

As ever, the Trawl ladies trawl so you don’t have to bringing you the absurd, the infuriating, and the bits that make it all just about bearable.

Pudding is served up Jimmy Kimmel style - enjoy.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 - 45min

387 - Theroux’s Manosphere AKA Bunch of Wet Wipes

Off the back of Louis Theroux’s latest documentary, Marina and Jemma unpack the men building huge online audiences by selling a version of masculinity that feels equal parts contradictory and deeply revealing. From the obsession with status, money and 'high value' women, to the glaring emotional vulnerability sitting just beneath the surface it’s a conversation about what’s really going on here, and why it’s resonating.

They dig into the damage, the loneliness, and the logic (or lack of it) behind it all, including the men who seem so close to self-awareness, yet never quite get there. There’s also a look at the role other men play in challenging (or enabling) this behaviour, and why calling it out still feels so rare. They also lose it laughing at points because as ever the internet has delivered...

When they're not laughing there are reminders too that, actually, confidence, kindness and emotional intelligence remain infinitely more attractive than whatever’s being peddled online.

A brilliant pudding from Russell Kane rounds it off.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 - 45min

386 - Farage a Lago: The Clacton to Florida Express

Jemma and Marina begin with story that feels like a nod to 'ye olde Trawl days' when 'Lord of the Week' was a regular thing. Then there’s an equally vintage blast from Penny Mordaunt, whose greatest hits include carrying a sword and standing up to fight. She's had an unfortunate encounter with comedian Vittorio Angelone on The Last Leg.

Inevitably however, no matter how much the Traw ladies try to hang around in the lighter past, they are pulled back into the big story that's dominating the news cycle.

There’s Nigel Farage’s 4,000-mile pointless trip to Mar-a-Lago and a reminder that Reform’s war-chat seems about as stable as Farage’s geopolitical opinions and his parties promises to reduce council tax.

Plus: the ghost of Iraq hovering awkwardly as Tony Blair pops up again, and why fossil-fuel wars do a lot more to your energy bill than Net Zero ever did.

And because this is The Trawl, there’s also a brief detour via The Sound of Music, some unexpected trivia, and, for pudding, Larry and Paul with Broken News.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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The news cycle might be a washing machine full of bricks… but Marina and Jemma are here to fish out the funniest bits.

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.

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 - 37min

385 - Schrödinger’s (Expensive) War & Chalamet Backlash

Oil prices soar, the global economy wobbles, and the media politely wonders whether there might still be a master plan inside Trump's helium-filled skull. Marina and Jemma sift through the chaos: Fox News telling the truth, Russia helping Iran and Trump being OK with that and Trump casually flirting with admitting war crimes.

But first: a brief cultural detour as Timothy Chalamet manages to annoy a surprising number of people, Doja Cat weighs in, Darcy Bussell keeps it classy, and one conductor delivers the most operatic “get in the bin” you’ll ever hear.

Then it’s back to the geopolitics: a war that’s somehow “very complete” and yet “just beginning' and the small matter of what Trump might really be trying to distract everyone from.

Then it's Under-Rated's which includes an incredible clip from the wonderful George Monbiot and a wonderful pudding from Cody Dahler.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 - 48min

384 - War Lies & Excuses & Patriarchy Pick-Mes

Oops… he did it again. This week on The Trawl, Jemma and Marina are trying to keep up with a news cycle that’s moving faster than the White House can change its story about why it just started another war. Is it about nuclear weapons? Oil? Israel? Distraction? Take your pick, the explanation seems to change by the hour.

But first, after a weekend of International Women’s Day posts (and the faint whiff of matriarchy trending), the pair look at the women who’ve decided the best career move is enthusiastically propping up the patriarchy. Turns out, it hasn't worked out that well for Kristi Noem. Mr Apprentice himself has fired her.

Plus: George Monbiot not missing a beat, Fox News beating the drums for war, and Americans discovering that foreign policy decisions have a funny way of showing up at the petrol pump.

Strap in Trawlers, this one comes with geopolitical whiplash.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 - 41min

383 - ‘Illegal War’ to ‘Use Our Bases’ - Starmer’s Dilemma. Iran Part 2

Marina and Jemma dive back into the escalating crisis in Iran as Trump and Netanyahu continue bombing, apparently without checking if that’s a good idea with… anyone.

As oil prices surge and the world edges closer to something that looks suspiciously like a wider war, the Trawl ladies compare the responses from the leaders of the main UK political parties. Meanwhile, Spain’s Prime Minister shows what an actual spine looks like. As one tweeter put it Spain is now Spine.

Along the way there’s Candace Owens mangling names, Jimmy Fallon doing late-night diplomacy, and political commentator Ana Kasparian dropping truth bombs.

There's some vintage Tony Benn reminding everyone how Parliament should sound, and a pudding that proves the internet is still capable of producing comedy gold.

War, hypocrisy, distractions and the odd moment of sanity — just another week on The Trawl.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 - 47min

382 - Epic Fury, Tiny Brains: Old Men With Missiles - Iran Part 1

Join Jemma and Marina who are trying to process the latest news cycle.

At time of record, Donald Trump has bombed seven countries in twelve months. Super - really earning that peace prize he's after. Diplomacy with Iran was reportedly within reach just 24 hours before US–Israeli strikes began yet here we are. Still, ignorance is bliss because some Dubai influencers are mainly worried about missing meetings or a flight.

The Trawl ladies look at the legality of the attacks under the US Constitution and the UN Charter, the collapse of negotiations, and the human cost, including, tragically the bombing of a girls’ school and a hospital hit in Tehran. Why does the language shift depending on who the victims are? And why does nuance suddenly disappear when it comes to condemning both authoritarian regimes and reckless military escalation?

They discuss the euphoria felt by some Iranians at the death of the Ayatollah and the worry about what comes next. They examine Trump’s call for Iranians to “rise up” against a heavily armed regime, the historical precedent of abandoned uprisings, and the now-familiar promise that the “worst bombing is still to come.”

There’s nuclear hypocrisy, oil politics, Operation “Epic Fury,” and a Medal of Honor ceremony detour into ballroom interiors.

If this is liberation, it’s a strange way of showing it.

It’s chaos. It’s escalation. It’s The Trawl.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 - 39min

381 - Green joy & Farage ‘Clutching at More Straws Than a Masturbating Scarecrow’. 💚

This week on The Trawl, Marina and Jemma enjoy one of life’s small but deeply satisfying pleasures: Nigel Farage losing an election and immediately blaming everyone except himself.

Instead of the predicted triumph, Reform got absolutely walloped by a Green candidate who is, among other things, a plumber. Which is awkward when your entire campaign strategy revolves around telling everyone you’re the voice of “ordinary people”.

Naturally, the reaction has been measured and dignified. Just kidding. Nigel Farage immediately blamed “sectarian voting”, Reform supporters blamed Muslims, the right-wing press blamed immigrants, and the Telegraph briefly blamed reality itself. Meanwhile. the BBC is still trying to work out how to report a Green victory without sounding too enthusiastic about it.

The ladies trawl through the fallout: the media meltdown, the conspiracy theories, Labour’s dodgy campaign tactics, and the curious phenomenon of the losers getting far more airtime than the people who actually won.

Plus: Nigel Farage clutching at more straws than a masturbating scarecrow, some spectacularly unhinged press coverage, and one glorious heckling moment that perfectly sums up the mood.

Democracy - occasionally it still works.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 - 49min

380 - Vanishing Files, BBC Blunders, Tariff Tantrums, and the Hockey Winners Who Became Losers

This week on The Trawl, Marina and Jemma sift through a news cycle that feels less like global politics and more like a lads’ WhatsApp group with state power.

In the US, the Epstein saga takes another disturbing turn as fresh reporting suggests dozens of pages have vanished from the public database — including material relating to allegations against Donald Trump. As questions swirl around the Department of Justice and potential cover-ups, Trump is busy raging about tariffs, lashing out at the Supreme Court, and assembling a “Board of Peace” that looks more like a billionaire protection racket.

Back home, the BBC racks up not one but two eyebrow-raising moments — from by-election “impartiality” that looks anything but, to the BAFTAs fallout that reignites serious questions about racism, responsibility and who institutions are really shielding when things go wrong.

Meanwhile, in a locker room in the States, Trump phones the victorious US men’s hockey team and jokes about “having to” invite the women champions too — thankfully, the women respond with considerably more class (and a rather fabulous Vegas twist).

Add in Tony Blair positioning himself as a global peacemaker while Gaza remains in ruins, rumblings of escalation with Iran, and yet another threat from within Trump’s own supporter base, and the picture becomes clear: power is being hoarded, accountability is being dodged, and the gaslighting is relentless.

It’s dark. It’s absurd. It’s deeply unsettling. But as ever, Marina and Jemma find the clarity, the receipts, and the underrated internet gems that make it survivable.

Buckle up, trawlers.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 - 40min

379 - Torching Equality & The Battle for Gorton and Denton

In this Trawl, Jemma and Marina survey the political carnage and ask: what's Reform's problem with equality?

While America wrestles with peak what-the-fuckery, back home “Trump Lite” is workshopping his strongman routine and Reform are busy torching the Equality Act, apparently “for the boys.” Because nothing says protecting young men like removing the legislation that protects them.

Then, the Trawl ladies dive into the by-election showdown between Green candidate Hannah Spencer and Reform’s Matt “Tax Your Womb” Goodwin, the increasingly chaotic Reform vetting process (featuring a Succession cameo), and why their big policy platform seems to be: scrap it, bin it, cut it.

Plus: Vic Derbyshire wipes the floor with Zia Yusuf, Caroline Lucas delivers a masterclass and Nigel Farage clocks up air miles to the Chagos Islands instead of doing his actual job in Clacton.

There’s a ring doorbell, a Benny Hill soundtrack, tactical voting chat, and Under Rateds

Side effects may include eye-rolling, sharp intakes of breath, and involuntary shouting at your podcast app.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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Youtube

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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.

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 - 46min

378 - A Right Royal Arrest: Busted On His Birthday

ALL CAPS were exchanged. Cushions were screamed into. Andrew has been arrested.

Jemma and Marina dive headfirst into the breaking news that Prince Andrew was arrested at his Sandringham residence on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The internet did not disappoint. The memes were memeing. The birthday irony was exquisite. The startled-wombat visuals were unavoidable.

But amid the satire and schadenfreude, Jemma and Marina are crystal clear: at the heart of this grotesque scandal are survivors of abuse, thousands of children and young people harmed by a network of powerful men. Justice, not just jokes, is the point.

They unpack the arrest, the reactions, why some in America seem determined to make sure justice never darkens certain billionaire doorsteps. The callers, the chaos, and the memes that made it A Truly Great Day For The Internet

Plus: Under-Rateds, a new favourite account and a deliciously aged-like-milk Michael Spicer pudding.

It’s furious. It’s funny. It’s deeply uncomfortable.

Just the way the news cycle likes it.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 - 46min

377 - The Trawl Meets Misan Harriman

Jemma and Marina first 'met' Misan on Instagram having been struck by his incredibly powerful photographs of people protesting against what they were witnessing in Palestine.

Misan is a Nigerian-born British photographer, entrepreneur and social activist. As well as being one of the most widely-shared photographers of the Black Lives Matter movement, Harriman is also the first Black man to shoot a cover of British Vogue in the magazine's 104-year history.

Eloquent, passionate and kind, talking to Misan about his work and his thoughts on what is happening in the world was a wonderful experience for Marina and Jemma who are convinced you'll love hearing what he has to say too. An uplifting, hopeful listen. Enjoy!

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 - 47min

376 - Reform’s Womb Agenda: Handmaid’s Politics & Olympic Confessions

This Trawl starts with a confession that absolutely nobody asked for. A Norwegian Olympic medallist wins bronze… then goes live on TV to admit he cheated, not in sport, but on his girlfriend. Gold medal in biathlon, emotional own goal in life. Marina and Jemma unpack public guilt, performative remorse, and why the Winter Olympics still feels like a collection of sports invented during a long weekend in Oslo.

But from awkward to outright alarming…

Reform UK are floating policies that sound less like a manifesto and more like a Handmaid’s Tale mood board. Nigel Farage is hinting at fewer divorces and abortions under his leadership. Matt Goodwin thinks childfree people should be taxed more - a literal fertility surcharge - and has suggested girls should be encouraged to have babies earlier. Yes. Really.

From Natasha Devon’s brilliant LBC take, to Argentina erupting under Javier Milei’s chainsaw economics, to Nadhim Zahawi proving once again that being out of touch is a lifestyle choice.

There is rage. There is swearing. There is Catherine Tate.

And just when you think it can’t get more absurd, Rupert Lowe launches his own party.

Plus: a resurfaced Stone Roses press conference clip that is the chaotic pudding we all deserve.

Gold medals, fertility taxes, and five pence off a pint.

Completely normal country.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 - 39min

375 - Ratcliffe’s ‘Colonising’ Claim & Labour’s Reverse Ferret

Marina and Jemma pour the champagne, light the cauldron and gather the coven because honestly, what in the hallucinogenic hell is going on?

First up: America’s Health Secretary says something truly eye-watering. Then, from villainy to heroism via a brilliant moment highlighted by Vic Derbyshire the Trawl ladies celebrate a woman calmly, powerfully doing the right thing (even if their GCSE French can’t quite keep up).

But alas, back to the rogues’ gallery: billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has waded into immigration with talk of “colonising” Britain prompting an unusually swift response from Keir Starmer. Is this… backbone? Is this growth? Is this a new era?

Gary Lineker features, as does Cilla, plus Zack Polanski shining on Sky and a pudding that asks the eternal question, how can anyone claim politics doesn’t affect them?

Heroes. Villains. Billionaires. Populists. And a pub full of witches trying to make sense of it all.

Bring snacks

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

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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.

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 - 42min

374 - WFH Hypocrisy & Bondi's Binder - A Disgraceful Display

Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte dive headfirst into the political absurdity of the past seven days and honestly? You couldn’t script it.

First up: the US Congress hearing that left jaws on the floor. Attorney General Pam Bondi arrived armed with a massive binder and a promise of transparency and delivered… evasions. With Epstein survivors present in the room, the exchanges were tense, emotional, and deeply uncomfortable. The Trawl ladies unpack.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump continues to generate headlines for all the wrong reasons from tariff confusion to podium moments that raise more eyebrows than answers. Is this strategy, chaos, or something else entirely?

Back home, Reform UK has decided that working from home is apparently the enemy of civilisation. Marina and Jemma look at the party’s push against remote working, the glaring inconsistencies, and why critics say the policy raises more questions than it answers.

Plus: Jewish activists heckle Nigel Farage, Melanie Stansbury refuses to mince her words, and The Marsh Family deliver the pudding.

Buckle up, Trawlers.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 - 44min

373 - Labour Meltdown, Out‑of‑Touch Madness & Wes Streeting Admitted What?!

This week, we start with cursed Valentine’s poetry from...Greg Wallace and a rogue “dangler", before plunging straight into the political sewer. Rory Stewart decides that £94k counts as “low income”, Trump posts a racist video in the middle of the night and then immediately blows up his own press office’s cover story, and Labour descends into full‑blown chaos as Morgan McSweeney finally exits stage left.

Marina and Jemma pick through the wreckage: Wes Streeting’s leaked war‑crimes admission, Mandelson’s potential fingerprints over Palantir, and a Labour Party so busy chasing Reform voters it’s forgotten its own base. It’s maddening, it’s bleakly funny, and it’s exactly why The Trawl exists - because someone has to sift through this BS.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 - 39min

372 - Sport Triggers MAGA, Mandelson's Makeover, and the Epstein Blackout

Olympians dare to distance themselves from Trump, Bad Bunny turns the Super Bowl halftime show into a love-soaked middle finger, and Kid Rock delivers what may be the worst miming incident in broadcast history.

Then it gets darker. Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking network run a Super Bowl PSA demanding the truth while the US government, British media and political class continue to redact, deflect and downplay. Why are names still hidden? Why is the press treating this like an inconvenience rather than the biggest abuse-and-blackmail scandal in modern history? And why does Peter Mandelson get a soft-focus Sunday Times makeover like he’s the victim here?

Jemma and Marina dig into the Epstein files, the media blackout, the aristocratic audacity of people bragging about their proximity to a convicted sex trafficker, and the jaw-dropping clips you have to hear to believe. Plus: Reform, Farage, Russia, Israel, the monarchy, Melania’s film getting absolutely savaged and a pudding that might be the only sane thing left.

It’s rage, receipts and gallows humour — because apparently that’s where we are now.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 - 43min

371 - Cheaper Pints, Poorer Children, the Student Loan Stitch‑Up & Trump’s Misogyny

Marina and Jemma wade through the moral swamp of Reform UK’s latest masterplan: cutting beer duty by keeping children in poverty - because according to them the nation’s biggest crisis is Dave paying £4.80 instead of £4.75 for his pint.

Labour doesn’t escape the drag either, with Rachel Reeves floating the idea that only graduates should pay for their degrees - a policy so anti‑youth it might as well come with a free copy of the Daily Mail. Meanwhile, Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick manage to accidentally vote to abolish the two‑child benefit cap after wandering into the wrong lobby. God help us if these people end up running the country.

Farage continues to dodge debates like it’s an Olympic sport, all while his name keeps surfacing in the Epstein files. And across the pond, Trump tells a female reporter to “smile” when asked about a paedophile ring - because it's a smiley kind of subject, right? At least misogyny is the one thing he’s always consistent on.

Plus: dating‑app despair, cortisol levels that should come with a health warning, and a perfect clip capturing the spiritual emptiness of people who proudly declare they’re “not political.”

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 - 41min

370 - Melania Flop, Epstein Drop & Marina vs Reform

January nearly finished us off, and February hasn’t exactly come in with flowers. Marina is abandoned in the news‑cycle trenches while Jemma wafts around on a boat, and together they pick through the week’s mess: Marina’s run‑in with Reform, her viral roasting of Dame Andrea Jenkyns, the spectacular failure of the Melania documentary, Bezos’ suspiciously sculpted torso, and the grim, sprawling, still‑redacted Epstein file dump. There are tributes, tangents, tech meltdowns, and an unholy amount of swearing at wires. Chaotic, cathartic, and unmistakably The Trawl.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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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.

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 - 44min

369 - The Trawl Meets Stewart Lee

For many, comedian and writer, Stewart Lee, is the GOAT so Jemma and Marina were thrilled to sit down with him to chat about the state of the world, how to deal with mad relatives, Brexit, Trump, how he fills his spare time and everything in between.

Lee is described on Wikipedia as having an onstage persona that alternates between 'that of an outspoken left-wing hero and that of a depressed failure and champagne socialist who criticises his audience for not being intelligent enough to understand his jokes.' This is all like catnip to The Trawl so Marina and Jemma knew their meeting with the comedy legend would not disappoint. Spoiler, it didn't.

This episode is sponsored by AG1 - the daily foundational nutrition support drink which helps you combat the winter season both mentally and physically. For a limited time, get a limited edition AG one Green Steel Tumblr plus five travel packs, and a welcome kit to get you started.

That's all worth £80, but it's free when you sign up for a monthly subscription atdrinkag1.com/thetrawl

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 - 56min

368 - FASCISM VS THE ARTS: A TRAWL SPECIAL

Why does Trump obsess over comedians?

Why do authoritarian regimes always come for artists first?

And why is laughing at fascists one of the oldest forms of resistance we’ve got?

In this special edition of The Trawl, Marina and Jemma trace the dangerous present moment back through history from Charlie Chaplin and Marlene Dietrich to Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel and the journalists refusing to blink. This is a furious, funny, chilling tribute to satire as a political weapon and to the people brave enough to use it.

Laughing isn’t frivolous.

It’s subversive.

This episode is sponsored by AG1 - the daily foundational nutrition support drink which helps you combat the winter season both mentally and physically. For a limited time, get a limited edition AG one Green Steel Tumblr plus five travel packs, and a welcome kit to get you started.

That's all worth £80, but it's free when you sign up for a monthly subscription atdrinkag1.com/thetrawl

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 - 47min

367 - Chaos: ICE Murder, Burnham, and Insults

Marina and Jemma are trying very hard not to lose the actual plot while the world insists on setting it on fire.

Trump U-turns on tariffs. He insults British troops. ICE kill an innocent man in the street and continue abducting children in broad daylight.

Suella Braverman defects to Reform (yes, really).

Andy Burnham makes his move.

And democracy continues to wobble like a shopping trolley with one broken wheel.

From Davos chaos and Greenland conspiracy theories, to Trump’s grotesque comments about UK soldiers, to the latest ICE killing and the growing use of immigration enforcement as political theatre, this episode trawls through a week where nothing feels normal and everything feels dangerous.

There’s anger.

There’s dark humour.

There’s disbelief.

There’s proper “sit in a circle and talk about our feelings” energy.

Because when politics starts to feel unreal, the most dangerous thing you can do is get numb.

This episode is sponsored by AG1 - the daily foundational nutrition support drink which helps you combat the winter season both mentally and physically. For a limited time, get a limited edition AG one Green Steel Tumblr plus five travel packs, and a welcome kit to get you started.

That's all worth £80, but it's free when you sign up for a monthly subscription atdrinkag1.com/thetrawl

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 - 45min

366 - Trump’s Greenland Meltdown: Europe Pushes Back

Trump wants Greenland and he's going to stamp his feet until he gets it. Jemma and Marina look back over a week which has included a lot of tariff threats, 'no comment' on military force, and a President who expects the rest of the world to just… nod along while he makes demands.

Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte wade through a truly unhinged news cycle: from Trump’s Greenland obsession and the fallout across Europe, to Britain discovering that rolling out the red carpet doesn’t actually stop you getting slapped with tariffs.

They unpack:

Why Greenland has suddenly become Trump’s favourite chew toyThe US tariff threats hitting the UK, Denmark and beyondStarmer’s awkward positionBritain’s alarming love affair with Palantir and Peter ThielThe surreal announcement of Trump’s self-appointed “Peace Board” (featuring some very familiar faces)Who’s finally standing up to Trump and who is embarrassingly getting on their knees

Plus: political backbone from Denmark, crowd chants in London, leaked clips, authoritarian vibes, tech bros, trade wars, and one musical number involving a Nazi that somehow makes everything feel slightly better.

Doomscrolling so you don’t have to, because apparently we’re all collateral damage now.

This episode is sponsored by AG1 - the daily foundational nutrition support drink which helps you combat the winter season both mentally and physically. For a limited time, get a limited edition AG one Green Steel Tumblr plus five travel packs, and a welcome kit to get you started.

That's all worth £80, but it's free when you sign up for a monthly subscription atdrinkag1.com/thetrawl

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 - 46min

365 - Reform is a Tory Bin & Beckham-Gate

In this episode, Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte are rifling through the internet’s sock drawer - separating facts from absolute tat, pairing up what still makes sense, and binning the stray underpants.

Talking of stray underpants, Robert Jenrick and Andrew Rosindell are the latest Tories to defect to Reform.

Before that however, the ladies start with the social media trend that is dragging us all back to 2016 (for better and worse), they ponder the psychological dangers of Dry January during late-stage capitalism, and enjoy some much-needed good news.

Then it’s politics and time to examine Robert Jenrick’s dramatic lurch towards Reform UK, the growing problem of MPs switching parties without asking voters, and why it all feels a bit like “if I can’t be Prime Minister, I’ll burn the house down.” Along the way, Sky News, LBC callers, internet philosophers and professional bellends all make an appearance.

And because no week is complete without a cultural skirmish, Jemma and Marina have to head chez Beckham where wedding dances, PR meltdowns and internet imaginations collide. Russell Kane speaks for a nation that is, frankly, quite tired.

Receipts kept. Furniture scorched. Sock drawer sorted.

To sign the campaign for By-elections to be called automatically when MPs defect to another party, head to: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/737660

This episode is sponsored by AG1 - the daily foundational nutrition support drink which helps you combat the winter season both mentally and physically. For a limited time, get a limited edition AG one Green Steel Tumblr plus five travel packs, and a welcome kit to get you started.

That's all worth £80, but it's free when you sign up for a monthly subscription atdrinkag1.com/thetrawl

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 - 49min

364 - Greenland and Iran: Two Crises, One Familiar Pattern

In this Trawl the world lurches from crisis to farce and back again at breakneck speed.

Trump is turning Greenland into his latest imperial fixation, NATO's scrambling to respond, while here in the UK we're quietly realising the ole 'special relationship' may be less special than advertised. Meanwhile, the BBC is perfecting its long-standing talent for underreacting to events that could fracture global alliances.

As hypocrisy klaxons blare, Jemma and Marina dig into Trump’s selective outrage over Iran, the horrifying reality facing people on the ground as the country is cut off from the world, and the long, ugly Western history that helped put Iran where it is today.

Plus: billionaire resource grabs, religious justification for oil theft and an underrated post of the week and pudding from new contributors Harris Alterman and Joe Nunnink

The world might be overwhelming at the moment, and utterly enraging. But at least on The Trawl we’re screaming together.

This episode is sponsored by AG1 - the daily foundational nutrition support drink which helps you combat the winter season both mentally and physically. For a limited time, get a limited edition AG one Green Steel Tumblr plus five travel packs, and a welcome kit to get you started.

That's all worth £80, but it's free when you sign up for a monthly subscription at drinkag1.com/thetrawl

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 - 45min

363 - Bartlett and Grok : Bad Takes And Deep Fakes

This Trawl starts with some actual good news before Marina and Jemma get it into the latest dyed in the wool Tory to join Reform.

Nadhim Zahawi has defected declaring “nothing works”, despite having personally had several goes at running the place. Reform continue to collect disgraced millionaires like badly laminated Pokémon cards, and the Trawl ladies are armed with some very amusing Farage receipts.

Things then take a darker turn as Jemma and Marina wade into men saying deeply dodgy things on podcasts about women, birth rates and “correcting” female choices, with expert takedowns, internet reactions, and some very practical suggestions for men who’d like women to actually like them.

And finally: what the hell is going on over at X? Men are using Grok to generate AI abuse towards women and even children and it's utterly depraved. The Trawl ladies play some voice notes from fellow female political commentators who have been affected. Still, Rupert Loew thinks it's all fine and that X should be 'protected.' What a hill to die on.

All that, plus a reminder that not all men are dreadful wombats by way of a very lovely pudding.

Bin fires extinguished. Receipts provided.

This episode is sponsored by AG1 - the daily foundational nutrition support drink which helps you combat the winter season both mentally and physically. For a limited time, get a limited edition AG one Green Steel Tumblr plus five travel packs, and a welcome kit to get you started.

That's all worth £80, but it's free when you sign up for a monthly subscription atdrinkag1.com/thetrawl

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 - 49min

362 - Shot Dead, Justified, Defended: America’s ICE Age

History's repeating itself …loudly.

In this Trawl, Marina and Jemma struggle to keep things light as America spirals deeper into terrifyingly authoritarian territory.

They discuss the killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent, the disturbing footage that followed, and the speed with which Trump’s administration moved to justify, sanitise and defend her death. From the tripling of ICE’s budget to the erosion of judicial oversight, this episode lays bare what happens when a heavily armed force is unleashed with political cover and “absolute immunity”.

Along the way, there’s Trump’s increasingly unhinged behaviour, a media ecosystem willing to dehumanise the dead, and the uncomfortable truth that Renee was not the first person killed in ICE custody - just the first white person caught on tape.

It’s an angry, upsetting, necessary listen with moments of solidarity, clarity and humanity where the Trawl ladies can still find them.

One of the 'Under Rateds' will give you shivers.

This episode is sponsored by AG1 - the daily foundational nutrition support drink which helps you combat the winter season both mentally and physically. For a limited time, get a limited edition AG one Green Steel Tumblr plus five travel packs, and a welcome kit to get you started.

That's all worth £80, but it's free when you sign up for a monthly subscription atdrinkag1.com/thetrawl

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 - 50min

361 - Art Gets Cancelled. Aid Gets Banned: Where are the Consequences?

Trump tries to slap his name on the Kennedy Center and the internet responds with satire, cancelled shows and an all-time zinger of a legal reply: “Confusion is a legal requirement, not a feeling.”Beautiful work 🫡

Then the mood shifts, hard. Marina and Jemma confront the unbearable disconnect of cosy Christmases in the West while Gaza freezes and floods. From Netanyahu’s Mar-a-Lago sleepover with Trump to the stripping of aid agencies from Gaza, Marina and Jemma ask the same question again and again: where are the consequences?

Also in this ep: Nicki Minaj torches her own reputation, the grotesque hypocrisy over the release of British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, Kemi Badenoch defending the indefensible (again), a sanctioned oligarch’s favourite lawyer, and the men of politics proving, once more, that it’s all just a game to them.

Satire, rage, hypocrisy klaxons and laughs. Enjoy!

This episode is sponsored by AG1 - the daily foundational nutrition support drink which helps you combat the winter season both mentally and physically. For a limited time, get a limited edition AG one Green Steel Tumblr plus five travel packs, and a welcome kit to get you started.

That's all worth £80, but it's free when you sign up for a monthly subscription atdrinkag1.com/thetrawl

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 - 34min

360 - Tip of the Epstein Iceberg & Trump’s Midterm Nerves

The Christmas break is barely a memory, Venezuela is threatening to become “the Greenland situation”, and Trump has kicked off January by delivering one of the most jaw-droppingly stupid geopolitical statements we’ve ever heard.

Before Jemma and Marina get swept up in the next global meltdown, this episode rakes back over everything you might’ve missed while eating leftovers and avoiding your relatives. From Trump’s extraordinary reframing of Russia’s war on Ukraine, to the optics, silences and outright gaslighting surrounding Zelensky, Putin and the world’s most fragile truth.

They also wade into the Epstein files and why their release got so dark over Christmas, why the redactions raised serious questions, and what has (and hasn’t) actually been established so far. They discuss Trump’s midterm panic, the legal cases that never made it to trial, and how power keeps slipping out of reach of accountability.

But because life can’t be wall-to-wall bleak, the Trawl ladies also bring some positive receipts: real wins, real progress, and reasons not to spiral before January’s even finished. Plus Peruvian shamans, underrated tweets of the week, and a genuinely lovely poetic pudding to send you on your way.

This episode is sponsored by AG1 - the daily foundational nutrition support drink which helps you combat the winter season both mentally and physically. For a limited time, get a limited edition AG one Green Steel Tumblr plus five travel packs, and a welcome kit to get you started.

That's all worth £80, but it's free when you sign up for a monthly subscription atdrinkag1.com/thetrawl

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter

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.

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 - 46min

359 - Oil Be Damned: Venezuela’s New Year Coup

Marina and Jemma return from Christmas only to find that Trump has kicked off 2026 by bombing Venezuela and kidnapping its president - and the so‑called “rules‑based international order” immediately folded like a cheap camping chair, with Western leaders bravely choosing silence, caution, and the safety of not upsetting the big orange man.

In this episode, they wade through the geopolitical sludge: a president paraded through New York like a colonial trophy, Musk suddenly discovering he loves regime change, and Marco Rubio realising mid‑press conference that he’s apparently been put in charge of running a country. Meanwhile Europe’s puny leaders offer their usual contribution - a sternly worded nothing - proving once again that the West’s moral authority is mostly a decorative prop and little else.

There are bots posing as jubilant Venezuelans, Nike tracksuits selling out because of a coup, and Trump casually eyeing up Greenland like it’s the Middle‑Eastern Riviera.

Marina and Jemma try to make sense of a world where the rules don’t apply, the leaders aren’t leading, and the only people not underreacting are you fine listeners - and two women with microphones and a migraine.

This episode is sponsored by AG1 - the daily foundational nutrition support drink which helps you combat the winter season both mentally and physically. For a limited time, get a limited edition AG one Green Steel Tumblr plus five travel packs, and a welcome kit to get you started.

That's all worth £80, but it's free when you sign up for a monthly subscription atdrinkag1.com/thetrawl

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

Youtube

Twitter