The Trawl

Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss
The Trawl
Latest episode

401 episodes

  • The Trawl

    Reform Gains: Just Take the Bloody Bins Out

    13/05/2026 | 53 mins.
    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

    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

    Met Gala Hunger Games & Trumpy Bedtime Stories

    07/05/2026 | 49 mins.
    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

    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

    Polanski, Protests & A Very Heated Week

    05/05/2026 | 52 mins.
    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

    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

    Royal Bants in DC & A Gifted Bell

    01/05/2026 | 45 mins.
    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

    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

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

    30/04/2026 | 41 mins.
    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

    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.
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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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The Trawl: Podcasts in Family