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The Trawl

Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss
The Trawl
Latest episode

456 episodes

  • The Trawl

    The Trawl Drop-In: Polanski Under Pressure: The Greens and Zionism

    09/10/2026 | 24 mins.
    It’s our first ever Trawl Drop In! A slightly less structured, more spontaneous outing in which Jemma and Marina tackle the stories that didn’t make the main pod. And blimey, there’s plenty to get stuck into.

    Has Zack Polanski’s party spectacularly misjudged its controversial conference motion on Zionism? Marina and Jemma get into the fallout, the leadership questions and what it all means for the left, while making clear that supporting Palestinian freedom and opposing antisemitism should never be mutually exclusive.

    Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

    Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

    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:

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Trawl

    Trump, Hegseth & the Apocalypse: It's All Gone Bonkers

    08/10/2026 | 42 mins.
    The Trawl ladies are still looking for the bit where it gets better, and this week it's hiding behind a potential outbreak of pneumonic plague in Russia. Don't panic, Trawlers, Jemma and Marina have a plan, and it's mostly denial.

    Then there's Pete Hegseth's guide to who gets into the armed forces, which Marina reworks into some dating advice for Jemma's Hinge profile. And Jemma has questions about who in the Bible wouldn't make the cut.

    With the midterms five weeks away, Trump is on the rally trail in states he won comfortably last time. The hypocrisy klaxon is blaring away for his talk of the death penalty, the dumbest soundbites from the road, and the Time interview transcript, which is best read with your head in your hands. Plus the Cornell case, and a comparison with the Central Park Five that's hard to ignore.

    They end on hope, because the polls look good, and then it's underrateds, Naomi Klein on AI, and a posh baby-name clip from Henry Rowley. Also: Postman Pat, reimagined and of course, pudding!

    For tickets for the super-rich tax match: https://app.fanbaseclub.com/fixture/hashtagunited-co-uk/22374?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAaeUwUmUbKoyE7QrgGPnxzY8Gf6AKyqnL__OSHcmsDVSST2QWruUk5QnJkO73A_aem_xWoLWSWXACvrcQbEtFvLZQ

    Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

    Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

    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:

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Trawl

    A Hopeful Trawl: Burnham Highs & Braverman Lows

    07/10/2026 | 43 mins.
    This week on The Trawl, there are… dare we say it… reasons to be cheerful. Andy Burnham is talking public ownership, electoral reform and a closer relationship with Europe, and suddenly the future doesn't seem quite so bleak. Marina and Jemma revisit the highlights from Labour conference, including plans to bring empty high-street buildings back to life, and ask: could hope actually be making a comeback?

    Then, things get considerably less wholesome. Suella Braverman finds herself under fire after a very revealing discussion about who gets to call themselves English, while Robert Jenrick's latest shoplifting crusade gives the Trawl ladies yet another reason to reach for the receipts. There's hypocrisy, Reform's apparent run of bad news, tactical voting, wealth taxes, and a reminder of why sometimes the internet is both the problem and the entertainment.

    Plus, Jürgen Klopp has some words for the people who think Germany's football team isn't German enough, and the episode finishes, as always, with pudding.
    The highs, the lows, the receipts and just enough hope to keep us going.Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

    Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

    For tickets for the super-rich tax match: https://app.fanbaseclub.com/fixture/hashtagunited-co-uk/22374?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAaeUwUmUbKoyE7QrgGPnxzY8Gf6AKyqnL__OSHcmsDVSST2QWruUk5QnJkO73A_aem_xWoLWSWXACvrcQbEtFvLZQ

    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:

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Trawl

    Cornell: Since When Is an Essay Justice?

    01/10/2026 | 38 mins.
    Content warning: this episode discusses rape and sexual violence.

    Marina and Jemma open with some hope. Between Macklemore, Ed Sheeran's bad week, and the Andy Burnham effect, is the tide turning? Then they switch gears.

    In 2024, a Cornell student alleges she was drugged and then raped and sexually assaulted for seven hours at a fraternity house. A group chat of 57 people were made aware of it. Seven men allegedly took part. Two were expelled, and others were told to write essays. The case has now been reopened.

    Marina and Jemma look at what the group chat didn't do, why institutions keep protecting "his future" over hers, and how sentencing in the UK and US compares. They also flip the scenario and ask what would happen if the victim were a man. It's a heavy one, Trawlers...but as ever, a few underrated tweets and a £10.78 loaf of sourdough to finish.

    Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

    Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

    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:

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Trawl

    Hunger Games At The White House & Very British Insults

    30/09/2026 | 39 mins.
    Two episodes in two days, because Marina couldn't sleep. Trawlers, this one's a tasting menu of the week's finest nonsense.

    The Trawl ladies start with GB News being crowned "most trusted news channel" by its own viewers (custard is the favourite custard among people who eat custard), then pay homage to a homegrown delusional wally who lasted 49 days and still gets the odd LBC slot.

    Then it's over to the White House. Trump rolls out the red carpet and a black-tie state dinner for the leader of China, while Americans can't afford their groceries and the war with Iran drags on. Jemma and Marina discuss the broligarchy banquet, the rebrand of AI as "SI", and why the "communist" jibes don't apply when there's a banquet on offer.

    Plus this week's best (and most inventive) British insults, the underrated tweets of the week, and a heads-up for tomorrow's much heavier episode.

    Know any Americans who are despairing? Send them this. The Trawl is conquering the US market one WhatsApp message at a time.

    Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660

    Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets

    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:

    Patreon: 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.Find the trawl on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetrawlpod/ and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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