The Trawl

Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss
The Trawl
Latest episode

392 episodes

  • The Trawl

    The Trawl Meets Sir Bill Browder

    19/04/2026 | 57 mins.
    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

    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

    Reform Raffle, Tory Receipts & Starmer Confusion

    16/04/2026 | 38 mins.
    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

    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

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

    15/04/2026 | 46 mins.
    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

    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

    Orbán Out & Trump Blocks Blockade

    15/04/2026 | 38 mins.
    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

    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

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

    15/04/2026 | 47 mins.
    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

    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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