The Trawl

Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss
The Trawl
Latest episode

374 episodes

  • The Trawl

    Farage a Lago: The Clacton to Florida Express

    13/03/2026 | 37 mins.
    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

    Patreon
    https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast

    Youtube
    https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl

    Twitter
    https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast

    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:

    https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

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

    Schrödinger’s (Expensive) War & Chalamet Backlash

    12/03/2026 | 48 mins.
    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

    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.
  • The Trawl

    War Lies & Excuses & Patriarchy Pick-Mes

    11/03/2026 | 41 mins.
    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

    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.
  • The Trawl

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

    06/03/2026 | 47 mins.
    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

    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.
  • The Trawl

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

    05/03/2026 | 39 mins.
    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

    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.

More Government podcasts

About The Trawl

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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