DiscoverThe Trawl
The Trawl
Claim Ownership

The Trawl

Author: Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Subscribed: 3,003Played: 234,684
Share

Description

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.

359 Episodes
Reverse
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 Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
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 Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
The Trawl Meets Stewart Lee

The Trawl Meets Stewart Lee

2026-01-3001:02:26

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 at drinkag1.com/thetrawlThank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
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 at drinkag1.com/thetrawlThank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
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 at drinkag1.com/thetrawlThank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
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 kneesPlus: 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 at drinkag1.com/thetrawlThank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
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/737660This 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/thetrawlThank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
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 NunninkThe 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/thetrawlThank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
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 at drinkag1.com/thetrawlThank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
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 at drinkag1.com/thetrawlThank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
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 at drinkag1.com/thetrawlThank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
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 at drinkag1.com/thetrawlThank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
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 at drinkag1.com/thetrawlThank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
Clips of writer, podcaster and Instagram legend, Cody Dahler, have featured so many times on The Trawl, regular listeners will be completely familiar with his dulcet tones. What they may not know however is that Cody used to be a civil servant, working alongside and putting up with the Tory government and a comedy writer on shows such as Dead Ringers. Marina and Jemma find out how he's grown his huge Insta following, what he thinks about Starmer and get his thoughts on Rory Stewart's 'class anger' comments which were aimed at Zack Polanski. Plus who is Cody naming 'Bell End of the Year.' 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/thetrawlThank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcasthttps://https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcasttwitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
No clips. No editing. No guests.In this unedited end-of-year special, Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte sit down and reflect on everything The Trawl has covered over 2025. They remember the stories that shocked them, the moments that made them laugh, and the news cycles that left them genuinely lost for words. They also indulge in a bit of nostalgia, recalling how they met and how the podcast began. Then Marina is very rude about a pair of Jemma's trousers which changes the tone somewhat. From political chaos and media pile-ons to internet absurdity, culture wars and the moments of unexpected joy that cut through the noise, this is a candid conversation about what it’s been like to trawl the feed week after week during one of the strangest years in recent memory.A chance to pause, take stock, and exhale before whatever 2026 decides to throw at them.Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
It’s Boxing Day on The Trawl, which means Marina and Jemma are fuelled by cheese, chaos and the most baffling headlines Britain has to offer. Join them as they sift through the festive madness: reality‑TV absurdity, BBC lawsuits, and the government’s latest attempt to turn violence against women into a culture‑war chew toy. They dig into Jess Phillips’ new proposals, the backlash from the usual suspects, and the data that certain politicians would rather ignore. Also featuring: Cilla Black fever dreams, Tom Skinner’s Strictly meltdown, and a surprising amount of cheese.A perfect blend of silliness, sharpness and Stilton‑powered clarity.Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
It’s Christmas Eve at The Trawl HQ and the cheese is flowing, the Scrooged button is armed, and Marina and Jemma are doing their level best not to spiral.Instead, they unwrap some unexpected festive joy as a trio of bell-ends Tommy Robinson, Jake Paul and Andrew Tate, discover the true meaning of consequences via the noble art of boxing. (Spoiler: pink gloves, broken jaws, and internet-wide schadenfreude feature heavily.)Stateside, karma keeps busy. From the Vanity Fair brouhaha to Trump’s name mysteriously appearing on and disappearing from places it absolutely shouldn’t, including the Kennedy Center and the Epstein files. Yes, those Epstein files. Thousands released, thousands redacted, and somehow one name missing entirely.Add in Nicki Minaj’s excruciating Trump-era foot-in-mouth moment, some festive under rateds and a Christmas 'pudding' story that may ruin your appetite entirely and you’ve got a very Trawl Christmas indeed.Pour a stiff drink, pull on a metaphorical Christmas jumper, and join us.We’ll be back on Boxing Day… obviously.Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
Regular Trawl listeners will know that every Trawl episode ends with a clip ‘pudding’ a treat at the end of every show. Marina and Jemma select clips they find funny, poignant, stirring or entertaining for one reason or another and in this very festive edition of Trawl Meets the Trawl ladies welcome some of your very favourite puddings - Anthony Richardson from The Exploding Heads, Larry and Paul from Broken News fame PLUS one of their favourite Christmas crackers whose posts also regularly feature - the one, the only, Danny F’ing Price - the Instagram activist and all round legend. Expect clip highlights, Christmas quiz questions such as ‘what would Brexit look like if it was a jumper?’ and a lot of insight into how these brilliantly funny people became the internet sensations they are - holding power (and angry men like Colin from Portsmouth) to account. Enjoy ✌🏼🎄Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
Love, Hypocrisy and a Rob Reiner Tribute It’s the Friday episode and Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte are running on festive fumes so prepare for rage, tears, laughs and a post Rob Reiner tribute snotty nose. It's a rollercoaster of an episode.The Trawl ladies start with the small lies we tell children (Father Christmas logistics remain shaky) before moving swiftly to Trump’s grotesque response to tragedy which has sparked a proper reckoning and proves that the the late, great Rob Reiner was right about him all along.Jemma and Marina pay proper tribute to the wonderful movies he made and discuss why decency, humour and romance feel increasingly radical amidst the backdrop of modern politics.Then it’s onto Trump’s apparent desire to lead Europe (spoiler: Europe says absolutely not), before Jemma and Marina head back to Blighty where Reform UK continue their unstoppable streak of rank associations, racist dog whistles and jaw-dropping hypocrisy — from Bonnie Blue to Nigel Farage framing multilingual children as a “cultural threat”.They finish with a few glimmers of hope, and the usual much-needed palette cleansers, dad jokes and utter nonsense.Side effects may include sighing, eye-rolling, despair and the sudden urge to rewatch The Princess Bride and believe in true love all over again.Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
Marina and Jemma are back with a Christmas-adjacent scroll through the internet so you don’t have to.With the festive season fast approaching, they bring you thrift tips courtesy of Donald Trump (yes, really), as he explains why American children might have to settle for 'two dolls instead of thirty' all in the name of tariffs. Marie Antoinette, but make it MAGA.The Trawl ladies also take on the claim that Britain is somehow worse off than the United States, unpacking why that narrative doesn’t stand up from gun laws to healthcare to basic reality.The episode then turns to two devastating mass shootings in the US and Australia, the heroism shown in the face of hate-fuelled violence, and the disturbing speed with which misinformation and outright fabrication spread online in their aftermath.Plus: Trump’s response, a MAGA voter discovering too late what 'women's rights' actually means, and a new US policy that might just be the worst tourism advert in modern history.They end, as always, with some much-needed internet relief — underrated tweets and a very beautiful pudding.Scroll wisely, Trawlers.Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf 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 episodesPlus, 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.
loading
Comments (8)

Helen Glanville

getting a bit fed up with Starmer bashing. I thought you were sensible pragmatic people. Jeremy Corbyn is not the answer.

Jul 18th
Reply

Paul Wright

anyone else having issues dowloading the trawl episodes specially the last 2 episodes

Apr 27th
Reply

Randall J Fudd

OM-Gregg !! You Brits are ever So Silly!! (and such lovely ladies, to boot). Regards from the States and Happy Holidaze, Randall Olympia, WA state USA

Dec 9th
Reply

Gus Gilder

He said 'to be honest' rather a lot. In my experience, this is seldom an indication of honesty!

Dec 12th
Reply

pouria

خودت باش

Sep 4th
Reply

Dean Morrison

Pure genius! you're a star Marina!

Apr 27th
Reply

Gus Gilder

Nice work as always ladies, definitely the funniest episode yet. How's the Fanny bone Jemma?

Sep 28th
Reply

Gus Gilder

Loving your work ladies! You cover all the big issues, I can't argue with much of what you say and it's all presented with with such humour. Please keep it up!

Aug 23rd
Reply