The Trawl

Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

The Trawl is the podcast that dives headfirst into the political chaos, media spin, and social media absurdity of the week - so you don’t have to. Hosted by broadcasters and political commentators, Jemma Forte and Marina Purkiss, it’s part therapy, part takedown, and always unfiltered. Each episode, Jemma and Marina trawl through the week’s most viral tweets, jaw-dropping headlines, and rage-inducing soundbites - offering sharp analysis, dark humour, and the occasional expletive. From Westminster to world affairs, they call out hypocrisy, amplify truth, and remind you that you’re not losing your mind - just living through it. If you’ve ever shouted at the news or laughed through the tears, The Trawl is your people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 22 HR AGO

    Did Starmer Just Hand Reform Another Stick to Beat Him With?

    Jemma and Marina are back, rummaging through the week’s digital wreckage and pulling out the bits that made us laugh, rage, and despair in equal measure. We start, bizarrely, with golf. Yes, golf. The Ryder Cup turned into a geopolitical soap opera, with Rory McIlroy flying the flag, throwing shade, and still finding time to get soppy about his wife.  Then it’s on to the Labour Party conference, a rollercoaster of highs and lows and touch upon Starmer's interview with Laura Kuenssberg which was promptly chewed up and spat out by all the usual suspects to misquote him into oblivion. Meanwhile, Reform proved once again that when they’re not playing victim which appears to be their new schtick, they’re busy starring in their own corruption scandal. One of their ex-leaders has pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery. Eight. Not even Tories manage those numbers. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast   Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast   Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl   Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast 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: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    43 min
  2. 6 DAYS AGO

    Charlie Kirk's Send Off, Disney's Dark Side and a Digital Brain Fart

    In this episode of The Trawl, Jemma and Marina wade through a feed overflowing with madness - from world-shifting diplomacy to unhinged Trump theatrics. Three nations, the UK, Canada, and Australia, finally recognized Palestinian statehood, prompting Netanyahu to double down on annexation and fury. Meanwhile, the US stands alone at the UN, vetoing yet another ceasefire resolution, a move Amnesty chillingly called a “greenlight for annihilation.” Over in Trump’s America, the circus rolled on: Charlie Kirk’s bizarre stadium funeral (complete with merch stalls and voter booths), Trump accidentally DM’ing his attorney general in public, and Jimmy Kimmel getting briefly cancelled for daring to mock Donny. Disney silencing dissent and a White House openly threatening the press. Democracy is hanging by a thread. Plus: late-night hosts fighting back, satire that hits a little too close to home, and this week’s Under Rated  of the Week. All the news, none of the doom-scrolling. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast   Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast   Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl   Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast 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: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    47 min
  3. 24 SEPT

    Banquets & Bullying: Your Party Face Plants while Reform....Reform

    Trump’s in town and it’s every bit as grotesque as you’d imagine. From lavish royal dinners and tech-bro fawning, to unhinged speeches, salutes from GB News presenters, and Sadiq Khan becoming the scapegoat for everything wrong with Britain. Marina and Jemma pick apart the circus and wonder what Charles and Camilla must have made of it all.  But the chaos doesn’t stop there: while Starmer is trying to contain the Trumps, Corbyn and Sultana's “Your Party” collapses before it even gets going. So, No one's party then? Meanwhile, Reform are busy demanding more money for Andrea Jenkyns’ inbox while plotting another Windrush scandal. Still, amid the nonsense, there are glimmers of hope - from the Greens cutting through to heart-warming pudding clips that remind us humanity isn’t all bad. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast   Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast   Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl   Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast 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: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    51 min
  4. 18 SEPT

    Mandelson Fired, Trump Lands, and Banksy Scrubbed Away

    This week on The Trawl, Jemma and Marina take aim at Keir Starmer’s increasingly head-scratching judgment. From brushing off genocide rulings to parachuting in Peter Mandelson (the man that keeps reappearing like old mildew), with his Epstein-adjacent connections. Meanwhile Donald Trump lands in the UK (awkward timing, given his own Epstein ties) to some not so kind welcomes, and the Royal Courts of Justice decide to jet-wash a Banksy mural off their walls. Throw in some deliciously naughty underrated tweets of the week, and you’ve got another episode that says the things other podcasts tiptoe around. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast   Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast   Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl   Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast 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: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    41 min
  5. 17 SEPT

    Gary Scores, Kirk's Killing & Tommy's Rage March

    Gary Lineker boots Ant and Dec off their 23-year throne to win Presenter of the Year at the NTAs – and in doing so, delivers a perfectly tailored two fingers to the BBC. We bask in his glory before plunging into darker waters: the shocking murder of Charlie Kirk in Utah, the grotesque opportunism that followed, and the rank hypocrisy of those who once worshipped at the altar of “free speech.” Then to London, where Tommy Robinson and Elon Musk headline the biggest far-right rally in years – complete with MAGA hats, flag-burning and chants of “send them home.” We pick through the bile, the lies about numbers, and what this march tells us about the hollowing out of our national life. Jemma and Marina discuss at length what follows a very bleak week of news and find it cathartic. They hope you do too.  Plus: Trump shows his usual lack of empathy, a US pastor nails the Kirk debate in a way few others could, and Sonny Green delivers our pudding with This Is England. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast   Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast   Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl   Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast 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: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    53 min
  6. 11 SEPT

    Farage Gets Flambéed, Trump Tantrums & Tech Bros Drool

    Recorded late at night with a few glasses of wine and zero chill, Marina and Jemma are in rare form this week - extra sharp, extra silly, and absolutely savage. They dive into Nigel Farage’s toe-curling testimony in the States, where Congressman Jamie Raskin delivers the kind of truth bombs that make Marina rub her knees and Jemma nearly cry with joy. From Farage’s North Korea comparisons to Trump’s crockery-hurling tantrums, it’s a whirlwind of hypocrisy, absurdity, and late-night cackling. Expect pick-me politics, tech bro sycophancy, and a poetic ode to blankets vs. flags that somehow makes perfect sense after a few vinos. It’s The Trawl at its most unfiltered - because nothing says “holding power to account” like doing it slightly tipsy. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast   Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast   Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl   Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast 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: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min
  7. 10 SEPT

    Rayner’s Exit and Jenkyns’ Big Entrance

    This week on The Trawl, Jemma and Marina steer through a week where compassion and chaos collided. From the flotilla of medics, activists and even Greta Thunberg, risking everything to get aid into Gaza, to dockworkers in Genoa refusing to load arms shipments, there are still flashes of humanity in the darkest of times. Hugh Bonneville’s rallying cry, businesses putting morals above profit, and ordinary people prepared to be arrested for protesting against genocide — proof that not everyone in the world is a hideous f@%kwit. But alas, back home… Labour descends into turmoil with Rayner out and reshuffle chaos in. Clive Lewis nails why so many think “they’re all the same,” while Jemma and Marina discuss how her departure from the upper echelons of cabinet makes them feel. Meanwhile, Farage is busy lecturing Rayner on tax only to get exposed for his own questionable dealings. Quelle surprise. And then there’s the Reform Party Conference. Andrea Jenkyns makes an entrance that has to be seen to be believed and heard to be horrified. Femi reminds us why the “clowns” are more dangerous than they look, and Paul Mason swoons over the lot of them. Spoiler: it’s terrifying The Trawl ladies wrap up with Under Rated's and a Larry & Paul pudding to cleanse your palate. The good, the bad, the ludicrous — it’s all in this episode of The Trawl. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast   Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast   Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl   Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast 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: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    42 min
  8. 5 SEPT

    Tony Blair’s Gaza Riviera, Empty Prayers and Cap Snatching

    It’s another wild week online including yet another internet meltdown involving a CEO. This episode begins with a new 'caught on camera' scandal at the US Open, where a paving CEO grabbed a signed cap meant for a child, sparking memes, fury, and tanked reviews for his company.  Then the Trawl ladies head over to the White House Rose Garden, where Donald Trump raged about a scratch in his limestone path with more passion than he could muster for a tragic school shooting in Minneapolis. Marina and Jemma unpack the hypocrisy, America’s gun crisis, and the empty ritual of 'thoughts and prayers.'  And finally, there’s the jaw-dropping plan to turn Gaza into a luxury resort — with Trump, Jared Kushner and yes, Tony Blair in the mix. The hosts trawl the takes, from biting satire to righteous outrage.  The Under rated section is jam packed with people's takes on what Trump's brief break from Truth Social might have meant.  From tennis courts to mass graves, the internet has feelings, and The Trawl is here to dredge them up. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast   Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast   Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl   Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast 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: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min

About

The Trawl is the podcast that dives headfirst into the political chaos, media spin, and social media absurdity of the week - so you don’t have to. Hosted by broadcasters and political commentators, Jemma Forte and Marina Purkiss, it’s part therapy, part takedown, and always unfiltered. Each episode, Jemma and Marina trawl through the week’s most viral tweets, jaw-dropping headlines, and rage-inducing soundbites - offering sharp analysis, dark humour, and the occasional expletive. From Westminster to world affairs, they call out hypocrisy, amplify truth, and remind you that you’re not losing your mind - just living through it. If you’ve ever shouted at the news or laughed through the tears, The Trawl is your people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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