The Trawl

Happy Friday, Trawlers. The richest man on earth has unveiled a flying car and even Hot Wheels are taking the piss. It was first promised in 2017 and is now due in 2028, which is roughly when Marina’s five-year-old will be driving. Then it gets dark. The No Kings protests drew huge crowds in America, and the main account was knocked offline by Meta. Jemma and Marina discuss the billionaire media empire, and a documentary about Musk that TikTok has blocked adverts for. Then the main event: Starlink, Ukraine and the question of who gave the order to slow it down. Kash Patel tweeting “Russia with love” and a JD Vance clip the ladies could barely stomach. When you’ve got a foreign policy that looks like it was written in the Kremlin, Jemma and Marina can't help but ask: who’s been holding the pen? Join The Trawl's Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660 Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon…

It’s the Drop-In, and something remarkable is happening: parts of the British right-wing press are waking up to the fact that Brexit was a disaster. Goldman Sachs has put numbers on it, the Telegraph has put a figure on it, and Carol Malone has not been consulted. Then the banks, the budget and why we think they should pay up, before a former Mumford and Son explains wealth creation to an actual tax expert on Newsnight. Join The Trawl's Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660 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…

Get your popcorn out, Trawlers, and maybe a peg for your nose... ITV spent 12 months undercover inside Reform, and what they found makes the party’s vetting process look like a bloke in a pub asking whether you’ve deleted your tweets. Nigel cancelled a policy announcement and hid, the party’s response was to attack the journalists, and the BBC reported it with all the bite of a wet flannel. Reform’s defence is “bad apples”. By our count it’s less an apple and more an entire orchard, and every tree has worms. Meanwhile their own MPs are on the radio defending the indefensible, and a woman in Leicestershire is wondering where her vote went. Before all that, the French are revolting. Gen Z is on the streets across Europe and beyond over housing, schools and the cost of living, a rioter has been spotted with a baguette, and one bell is blaming Andy Burnham for Paris. Plus the underrated tweets, a car metaphor that goes much too far, and a new Goss episode on Patreon of when Marina met with "boil of a man" Brian…

Trump’s America is getting darker by the day, and in this episode Jemma and Marina are asking precisely how low things can go. From a painfully chaotic first outing for the new White House press secretary (actually hilariously bad) to plans to livestream a military execution, the Trump administration appears determined to turn political life into an increasingly grim spectacle. The Trawl ladies discuss the disturbing normalisation of violence, Trump’s decision to share footage of a fatal tiger attack, and why empathy and basic human decency seem to be in increasingly short supply. Plus, Anthony Scaramucci reflects on the Trump era, they examine the bizarre world of billionaire beauty standards, and the Underrateds deliver everything from a brilliant takedown of a particularly rubbish attempt to explain socialism to some truly toe-curling social media mishaps. Because when the world feels like it’s going to hell in a handcart, sometimes all you can do is laugh. Welcome to The Trawl. Join The Trawl's Facebook…

Marina and Jemma drop in to discuss what happened when Shane Gillis insulted female gym goers on SNL US Join The Trawl's Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660 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…

Way to make Vladimir Putin happy. It's been quite the week. Andy Burnham has reignited the debate over Russian interference in Brexit. Marina and Jemma get into the murky world of online influence, bots and the extraordinary power of social media to shape what we think. Plus, Trump's reported Russian diesel deal has the Trawl ladies asking precisely whose interests he's serving. And just when you thought Reform couldn't provide any more material, they turn to its investigation into the Channel 4 undercover sting. An investigation commissioned by Reform, looking into Reform, which concludes that Reform did nothing wrong? Well, what a surprise. Jemma and Marina attempt an apology. It doesn't go brilliantly. Plus, Bridget Jones, a much-needed reminder that being single in your thirties might not have been quite the catastrophe we were led to believe, and the usual dose of political absurdity to see you through the week. Don't forget to switch on automatic downloads wherever you listen, it really does help the…

The Trawl ladies are off to Tory conference and Kemi Badenoch has found a headline-grabbing pledge in scrapping inheritance tax on family homes. But who actually benefits, what might it cost, and what happens to everyone else? Jem has some thoughts, including a memorable encounter with a very wealthy former Dragons’ Den investor.Plus, the Conservatives’ plans for Reform defectors, a spectacularly unfortunate Chris Philp soundbite and the usual dose of political absurdity. It’s a Drop-In, so there’s no pudding. Just plenty of food for thought. Normal service resumes next Wednesday! 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…

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…

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!…

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…

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…

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…

Jemma and Marina hit Labour conference with Andy Burnham's speech: social care, "Your First Home" and the triple lock. Both have opinions and neither can quite agree on how many pensioners will turn up with pitchforks. Plus Shabana Mahmood reads the room, and Jemma and Marina ask whether this is actual hope or just adrenaline and conference biscuits. Then to Reform, where a council has decided the best way to help women and girls is to close all ten of its nurseries, leaving 402 children and 116 staff in the lurch. Then football. One hotel-room summit, 160+ athlete signatures, one player who wouldn't play and a 3-0 win in black armbands. Jemma and Marina on the most dramatic day in Irish football, and why the Irish lead on Palestine. Plus: Ash Sarkar's Question Time moment and why Marina has notes, the underrated tweets (featuring the Grand Designs caravan), and Marina's David Dickinson tan. Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660 Get your…

Columnist, bestselling author, Guardian journalist, broadcaster and one of the most prominent voices on the British left for well over a decade, Owen can always be relied on to say exactly what he thinks, no holds barred. He’s also someone who has never been particularly troubled by the idea of annoying people which, frankly, is one of the reasons Marina and Jemma like him. He’s fiercely critical of the right, deeply unimpressed by Keir Starmer’s Labour, passionate about Gaza and increasingly interested in what the rise of the Greens and Reform means for the future of British politics. Marina and Jemma sit down with him and let him have a proper rant. Let's face it, there's a lot to talk about. 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…

Ed Sheeran is crying on stage after the backlash over Macklemore being dropped from his tour, while Macklemore remains remarkably clear that this isn’t about him, or Ed. Marina and Jemma get into the row, the strange spectacle of a global superstar discovering the politics of Palestine in real time, and why having “FU money” might occasionally mean having the courage to say - no. Then there’s the rather extraordinary case of former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson joining Palantir, the controversial US data company with major contracts across the British state. From fighting phone hacking and defending democracy to working for a company critics have accused of undermining it: what on earth happened there? We also get into the eternal question of who should pay for a country that needs more money: capital gains, wealth, land and the extraordinary phenomenon of people with hundreds of millions still insisting they’re being squeezed. Plus: the MPs apparently tackling the national emergency of our Eurovision…

It’s another beautifully normal week on Planet Trawl. Europe is quietly preparing for war, we’re being told to stock up on tins and Trump is threatening to annihilate Iran while simultaneously floating a peace deal. So that’s nice. Marina and Jemma discuss Trump’s increasingly bonkers attempts to control the press, a House of Representatives that has essentially buggered off until after the midterms, Fox News unexpectedly standing up for journalism, and JD Vance begging everyone to just give them a little more time. Meanwhile, America’s farmers and truckers are discovering that 'drill, baby, drill' isn’t quite as comforting when the petrol pump starts hurting. But there are rays of light. Trump’s approval rating is tanking, the media are beginning to push back, and Zohran Mamdani appears to have discovered the revolutionary concept of making competent politics look extremely attractive. So stock up on your chickpeas, put the kettle on and join another light, breezy episode of The Trawl. What could possibly…

Buckle up, Trawlers - the Trawl girls are finally doing the AI special they've been promising for two years but haven't got round to. Until now because the news has forced their hands. From Sam Altman and Elon Musk suddenly (suspiciously) calling for a "slowdown," to Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton leaving Newsnight's Victoria Derbyshire lost for words, to an ex-Anthropic researcher quitting over fears AI could kill us all by the decade's end, Jemma and Marina ask the obvious question: is this genuine alarm, or a very convenient story for an industry that needs to justify its valuations? Plus: weapons in space, AI agents hacking servers they weren't supposed to touch, and why it might be Meghan Markle's fault after all (according to the Telegraph, obviously). They bring it back down to earth with your ick-list confessions, a royal wishlist for next week, and a verdict on Andrew Tate's latest courtroom performance. Heavy topics, delivered the only way they know how. Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook…

Sydney Sweeney has bosoms, Trump has a $5,000 promise, and somehow the FBI is having a conversation about bestiality. So yes, it’s been another perfectly normal week on Planet Earth. In this Trawl, Marina and Jemma get stuck into Sydney Sweeney’s gambling ad and ask whether “my body, my choice” also means “please don’t criticise my choices”. Trump, meanwhile, is promising Americans $5,000 if Republicans win the midterms, because nothing says sound economic policy like a giant election-shaped cheque. The Trawl ladies also head stateside for Trump’s latest diplomatic contributions, the increasingly bonkers saga around Jimmy Kimmel and the FCC, the FBI’s bizarre new hiring standards, and a few glimmers of hope in the form of politicians who can actually string a sentence together. Plus Mitch McConnell gets the taxidermy treatment, the BBC gets another kicking, and underrated tweets are once again doing considerably more work than most governments. It’s bleak. It’s absurd. Thank God we can take the piss. Join…

Ed Sheeran dropped Macklemore for saying Free Palestine, and now the support acts have since been dropping Ed Sheeran. Turns out "apolitical" is a position, and it's not a popular one. Andy Burnham finally did something and slapped a trade ban on Israeli settlement goods and US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee is furious about it. Excellent work. An Israeli newspaper is reporting Netanyahu had an explicit warning before October 7th and sat on it. Jemma and Marina go through what that means and why it matters. Meanwhile, Reform have banked £72 million from two donors with very interesting backgrounds, so of course the BBC covered it like a charity gala. Worry not...Isabel Oakeshott has assured us billionaires want nothing in return. Sure, Isabel. Plus the week's most underrated tweets. Grab your pyjamas. This one's a lot. 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…

This week, Marina and Jem start in America — where Trump calls 18 dead soldiers "small potatoes," posts AI-generated videos of himself beating world leaders with a hockey stick, and explains trade to a room of adults too scared to tell him he's wrong. Rinse, repeat, somehow getting worse. Then they come home to Blighty — where things are going brilliantly. Hundreds of men in matching black balaclavas staged two days of (NOT) spontaneous protests in Dover and Portsmouth, injuring police, blocking ferries, and terrifying British families trying to get into town. Arrests: none. Funny that — almost like if you'd been a blind OAP or a vicar protesting for peace, they'd have found the handcuffs. Also: a coachload of Pakistani cricketers gets surrounded by a brainless mob, the RNLI gets grief for not letting people drown, and Nick Ferrari has some thoughts. All recorded at 9:40pm on empty stomachs, and it shows. Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group:…

Trump reinvents 9/11 with himself as the hero, fireman-carried, fist in the air, saving the day from... four miles away. Meanwhile, it's all happening at the Reform conference, Farage lays out exactly how he'd neuter the House of Lords if it gets in his way, a woman protester gets her hair pulled and is hit with a crutch by livid OAPS and Robert Jenrick "resigns" from a job he doesn't have over a budget that doesn't exist. Plus: Zia Yousaf's dog-whistle campaign video, the finest vox pops democracy has to offer, and one man who is, unfortunately, very open to dating his cousin. It's a pretty crazy one with a lot of laughs. 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…

Jemma and Marina wade through the wreckage of Reform UK's worst week yet. A year-long undercover sting by investigative outfit Verbatim catches Nigel Farage's closest aides, head of policy James Orr and confidante Dan Jukes, on tape discussing how to secretly fund Reform's own polling through a fake American donor, all while a fictional $500,000 donation dangles in the background. Farage himself calls the scheme "amazing" and "bang for buck" on camera. Cue two sackings, a genuinely spectacular pile-up of excuses (entrapment! pub banter! "I wasn't listening"! they're just contractors!), and a late, jittery conference speech built on the same recycled security excuse Farage used to dodge the Clacton by-election. Plus: a genuinely wholesome voice note to restore your faith in dating apps (honest guv), and a deep, unnecessary dive into everyone's feelings about oysters. Corruption, contradictions, and crustaceans. Settle in, Trawlers. Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group:…

Trump is renaming lakes, posting increasingly deranged AI images and apparently gearing up to declare the midterms rigged before they've even happened. Meanwhile, the US is reportedly threatening Britain over the Falklands, Trump's CIA director is making mysterious trips to Moscow, and democracy feels increasingly like it's being held together with Sellotape. Then there's Israel and Gaza, where the rhetoric and imagery become ever more horrifying, Netanyahu gets a very frosty reception at the UN, and the UK promises a “comprehensive reset” of its Israel policy. Jemma and Marina also look at the devastating floods in Nepal, the climate crisis, the astonishingly low level of US aid and the depressing willingness of tech giants to bend to political power. Plus: AI geese, Dolly Parton, a very adventurous boiler man, Tim Curry, and a load of Under Rateds. It's another week where reality has apparently given up. Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group:…

It’s been a busy week in politics. Andy Burnham is back, delivering a barnstorming speech attacking the legacy of Thatcherism and Brexit… before promptly getting himself into a spot of bother over a Sainsbury’s work-experience scheme, political donations and a rather fetching supermarket fleece. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer quits as an MP, James Cleverly quits the Shadow Cabinet to spend TWO YEARS campaigning to become Mayor of London, and Reform continues its relentless assault on reality. Marina and Jemma ask why every Reform brain fart seems to become a BBC headline, examine Robert Jenrick’s latest immigration claims, and marvel at Peter Hitchens being forced to publicly deny that he thinks Rupert Lowe is the next Winston Churchill. And then, because this is The Trawl, the Trawl ladies move seamlessly from the state of the nation to men who deliberately don’t shower before dates, Jemma’s frustration with dating, the £450,000 Birkin bag from hell and the enduring question: how quickly can one shower before…

Builders openly bragging about dodging tax at a trade show, Trump quietly admitting his own tariffs backfired by striking a deal to import cheaper beef right after telling ranchers he had their backs and an American food safety crisis. Jemma and Marina have a lot to talk about what with food recalls stacking up in the US. There are dodgy eggs, blueberries, cheese and lettuce, as regulators get gutted from underneath. Then, closer to home: Reform UK's baffling new housing policy. Announced by divorced Richard Tice, it prioritises married couples and quietly punishes single parents and people fleeing abusive relationships. Lee Anderson and Laila Cunningham try to defend. Plus, the one story this week that'll actually restore your faith in people, because sometimes trawlers, it's not all bad news. The Trawl ladies end on a note that will warm your cockles. Enjoy! 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…

Marina and Jemma start by paying tribute to the utterly irreplaceable Dolly Parton, celebrating her extraordinary talent, generosity and legacy and remembering how she managed to reach people across political and cultural divides with warmth, compassion and a whole lot of rhinestones. Then it’s back into the grubby world of Trump. The Trawl ladies dissect his bizarre comments to a teenage lifesaver, discuss the staggering US national debt, soaring oil prices and despair at the people around him who seem determined not to notice any of it. They also get stuck into the increasingly strange stories and speculation surrounding Trump aide Natalie Harp, including those much-discussed letters and her reputation as his “human printer”. Then it's time to take a much-needed trip to New York, where affordable housing, public services and even the return of an otter to the Bronx River offer a few glorious green shoots of hope. Plus, capitalism gets a kicking, the internet provides some truly spectacular commentary and…

This week on the Trawl, the rain finally arrives and apparently that's the cue for the water companies to start dumping sewage, for the right-wing press to blame Muslims for our water shortages, and everyone to start shouting about everything. Marina and Jemma look at Reform's recent setbacks, its curious approach to free speech, Andy Burnham's surprisingly punchy trip to Ukraine, and the extraordinary media frenzy over Harry and Meghan returning to Britain. Plus, why the press seem determined to turn every issue into an immigration story, and a sobering look at the treatment of the late academic Jason Arday. And, naturally, there's a posh person who doesn't think they're posh. Join us for another trawl through the week's news catch, it's slippery, misshapen and occasionally quite rancid. 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…

Right, buckle up, trawlers... Trump's crypto company has been rubber-stamped as an actual bank (by his own government no less!) and Marina and Jemma wave a cheery bye Felicia to his press secretary Caroline Levitt (left to perish on the decoy plane while Trump and a "very very very close aide" swanned off on the catering flight). They boggle at the Tates' Temu lawyer, a shouting salami in sunglasses, vowing to take their extradition fight "to Trump" - plus the 30-odd bellends doing solidarity press-ups outside a Miami jail. Then it's back home to Blighty, where Reform reckon they'll save £50bn by whipping PIP off up to three million people and gutting the health bit of Universal Credit, which the BBC broadcast in full, of course. The ladies get stuck into why it's cruel, unworkable and really a mental health story, discuss their own personal experiences of welfare and then it's on to Netanyahu branding us the "Islamic Republic of Britain," and an Underrated of the Week for the actual Pope. Amen! Join The…

In this powerful episode of The Trawl, Jemma Forte and Marina Purkiss unpack the tragic death of Jason Arday. Arday was Cambridge’s first black professor, who endured an extraordinary media storm in the final weeks of his life. The Trawl ladies examine the 188 articles published about him in just nine days, the racist and hostile commentary that fuelled the story, and the wider questions it raises about who gets scrutinised, who gets forgiven, and who is allowed to belong in positions of power. They also discuss Nigel Farage’s Clacton victory, Count Binface’s impressive vote share, Lee Anderson’s increasingly surreal defence of Farage, and the UK’s first nationwide emergency alert of the summer. Plus: some very British flirting, Tolstoy proving that even literary geniuses sometimes can't be bothered, and the usual underrated internet gems. 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…

In this episode, things go from bad to worse before finally getting a little bit hopeful. Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte dive into Trump’s latest chaos, the increasingly bizarre state of US politics, vaccine decisions that have them seriously worried, and the extraordinary rise of Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan. Trump's obsession with the Michigan Senate candidate offers a rare glimmer of hope, particularly when the Democratic candidate refuses to play Trump's favourite game of intimidation and personal attacks. Donald Trump is facing fresh questions over his financial affairs, his administration's handling of the Epstein files, and the increasingly extraordinary conduct of his Justice Department. The Trawl ladies also get into Trump's increasingly alarming approach to vaccines and public health, the latest developments around Iran, and the growing international backlash against Israel, including powerful interventions from Ram Emanuel and Gabor Maté. Along the way, there are detours into Andrew Tate's prison…

The Trawl is back from holiday, and unfortunately the world hasn't sorted itself out while Jemma and Marina have been away. This week: Britain is hot, dry and heading for a seriously dodgy harvest, while data centres are springing up demanding vast amounts of energy and water. But don't worry, apparently the answer, according to one journo at The Telegraph is to embrace Mediterranean life and crack open an Aperol. Plus: Reform's latest dramas, Richard Tice's very shouty standards investigation, Farage's £5 million headache, Elon Musk's latest nonsense, and a reminder that some people are still looking at a planet on fire and thinking everything's absolutely fine. Come for the climate crisis. Stay for the Reform chaos. And maybe bring a bottle of water. 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…

Count Binface lands on The Trawl just in time to take on Nigel Farage in Clacton and proves, once again, that British politics is now virtually indistinguishable from science fiction. From 99 Flakes and grabber machines, to sewage, HS2, billionaire donations and why Parliament should relocate to Wheelie, the self-declared intergalactic candidate unveils his latest manifesto while Jemma and Marina discover he's thought more deeply about public policy than quite a few actual politicians. Plus: why he won't stop the boats (but he will stop the bots), whether he'd rather share a lift with Nigel Farage or a wasp, and why Chris Rea should be Transport Secretary. Beam yourself aboard. Democracy has never been this gloriously ridiculous. 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…

Andrew Tate is back behind bars and somehow tweeting like he's starring in a wartime epic, while Donald Trump spends an hour at the White House Correspondents' Dinner reminding everyone why normalising him remains such a dangerous game. Marina and Jemma pick apart another extraordinary week of political chaos, from Trump's latest constitutional musings and Elon Musk's painfully awkward media appearances to the voices refusing to stay silent on Gaza. There's also praise for politicians willing to speak plainly, a debate about Sadiq Khan's record, some gloriously savage internet commentary, and an underrated section featuring one of the funniest air fryer threads the internet has ever produced. Plus, if you've ever worried about imposter syndrome, this episode may just make you feel spectacularly qualified. 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…

Andy Burnham's honeymoon period is in full swing as the latest polls show Labour nudging ahead of Reform, but is the 'Burnham bounce' here to stay? Marina and Jemma weigh up the new Prime Minister's energetic start, ask whether his Manchester-first approach will win over the rest of Britain, and discuss Zack Polanski's social media mishap. Elsewhere, they take aim at the body-shaming directed at Andy Burnham's wife, marvel at the gloriously unhinged characters gathered at CPAC UK in another round of Blind Date, and end on a surprisingly fascinating deep dive into... salt. Yes, really. Along the way there's climate chaos, Count Binface wisdom, World War II documentaries, and one of the strangest episodes of The Trawl yet. 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…

The Tate brothers are arrested in the US as Britain seeks their extradition, Donald Trump delivers yet another fact-free election rant that major US networks refuse to air live, and MAGA's latest obsession with testosterone gets even weirder. Marina and Jemma look at the growing normalisation of misogyny, unpack an astonishing Fox News clip that comes with a trigger warning, and wonder why JD Vance apparently can't see someone eating an ice cream without feeling awkward. Plus: capri trousers, loafers, accidental QVC modelling tips, and the usual social media gems that somehow make political chaos almost bearable. 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…

The football may be over, but the political drama's only just getting started. Jemma and Marina celebrate Spain's World Cup victory (for reasons that go well beyond football), marvel at Donald Trump's knack for making every trophy presentation about himself, laugh at the half time shenanigans and bid farewell to Sir Keir Starmer as Andy Burnham arrives in Downing Street. There's chat about Burnham's first moves as Prime Minister, his surprise Cabinet, and why Count Binface is still causing Nigel Farage more grief than most politicians. Plus: Jude Bellingham acquires even more admirers, Erling Haaland buys a sixteenth-century Viking book, and Marina and Jemma wonder why on earth anyone listens to a podcast that happily jumps from geopolitics, to football, to Norwegian sagas in the space of five minutes. Politics, football and glorious internet nonsense - just another week on The Trawl. Join The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590931382660 Get your tickets…

England's World Cup dream is over, Burnham's is just beginning. Yes, England are out of the tournament but not before Argentina gave them one final dose of argy-bargy and an ill-judged Falklands banner. Marina and Jemma unpack the match and discuss why a rare moment of warmth between Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch left them strangely emotional. Elsewhere, Reform UK descend into full panic mode as the government's small boats figures improve and the Trawl ladies discuss Burnham's first comments on Labour's handling of Gaza and why they're dividing opinion. Plus, Elon Musk claims SpaceX will soon be worth more than the entire planet, Gary Stevenson explains why extreme wealth matters to all of us. To finish there's billionaire pudding for afters. Enjoy! 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…

Jemma and Marina try to make sense of another week that somehow outdid even their most chaotic bingo card. They discuss the shocking murder of Ann Widdecombe, why some reactions online were seriously misjudged, and how Nigel Farage's response was caught on camera in 3...2...1.... They also look at the latest twists in Reform UK's funding saga, Count Binface's increasingly hilarious Clacton campaign, Harry Kane's controversial golf partner, Erling Haaland's accidental status as the internet's healthiest role model, and Greg Wallace's baffling morning routine. Politics, football, bins, melons and heatwaves... just another week on The Trawl. 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…

From the White House to Wall Street, podcast studios to political pile-ons, Anthony Scaramucci has lived several public lives and he's got the stories to prove it. In this candid conversation with The Trawl, "The Mooch" reflects on the 11 days that made him infamous, what he really thinks of Donald Trump now, the state of American politics, and why reinvention is his greatest skill. Expect sharp opinions, surprising admissions, plenty of behind-the-scenes gossip, and a guest who's every bit as entertaining as his reputation suggests. It won’t surprise you to know Marina and Jemma enjoyed the grilling 🙌 Join the 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…

Marina and Jemma have found the one thing Trump hasn't ruined yet...oh wait, no, he's got to football too. This week the pair unpick his reverse Midas touch: one US player gets a red card, Trump gets on the blower to his snivelling little ring-kisser Infantino, and hey presto, the suspension vanishes. Then our hosts turn to the double standard that'll make your adrenal gland overwork: a masked Patriot Front march through DC gets a lovely police press release respecting their "right to peacefully express their views," while a 67-year-old Olympic canoeist faces ten years for touching a flap of peeling paint. Marina and Jemma also get into the Epstein files nobody in power will unredact, Kay Burley's most baffling moment, Farage versus Count Binface, Leila Cunningham insisting the CEO of Reform wasn't "politically active", AI machete fakery, and a wholesome choir with a filthy song. And don't forget, Trawl Meets Anthony Scaramucci lands Monday - political audio porn for your ears. Have a fabulous weekend,…

Farage detonates the internet with a surprise by-election announcement just as questions over undeclared gifts and crypto cash refuse to go away. Marina and Jemma dissect the latest twist, wonder whether it's political genius or pure theatre, and ask who really benefits from dragging Clacton back to the polls. Elsewhere, England's late-night triumph sparks celebrations (and an unfortunate Jordan Henderson injury), New York's crime figures confound the critics & Reform's polling takes another wobble. Then there's the usual collection of internet brilliance, questionable headlines and pudding 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…

In this Trawl, Jemma and Marina dig into Andy Burnham's big speech, ask whether he really could be Britain's next Prime Minister, and examine why parts of the left, right and media all have something to argue about. They also celebrate Elon Musk slipping back from trillionaire status, question the ever-growing wealth of the Royal Family, laugh at Donald Trump's sparsely attended "Great American State Fair", and discuss why Meta's new AI glasses are raising serious privacy concerns. Plus: Zia Yusuf's awkward Question Time moment, why violence against women is still too often minimised in public discourse, and the underrated tweets and clips that round off the week. 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…

Last week, politics wasn't the only thing making Jemma and Marina hot under the collar - the weather was and they were melting. Literally. Britain has sweltered through record-breaking temperatures, so the Trawl ladies look at the growing mountain of evidence that climate change is no longer a future problem because it's happening right now. So why are so many TV pundits still insisting it's "just summer"? From GB News to LBC, they dissect the spectacularly bad takes from people sitting comfortably in air-conditioned studios while teachers, commuters and NHS staff deal with the reality. Then they turn to Nigel Farage's increasingly uncomfortable media tour, as questions mount over his £5 million gift from a crypto billionaire. After years of demanding transparency from everyone else, why is he suddenly so keen to tell everyone to mind their own business? Expect plenty of righteous fury, a few laughs and Cilla Black makes an unexpected return. Join the The Trawl's Facebook BRAND NEW Facebook Group:…

Trump's having quite the week... He's been defeated by algae (sabotage, obviously), couldn't do up a medal ribbon, got blanked by every world leader at the G7, and then signed what experts are calling a catastrophic Iran deal — in the actual room in Versailles where Germany surrendered after WWI. The pure poetry of it all! Meanwhile Meloni delivers the clapback of the century ("neither I nor Italy ever beg" - Jemma wants it on a t-shirt, immediately), the Strait of Hormuz closes approximately twelve minutes after a ceasefire, and the UN confirms genocide in Gaza. Plus underrateds, Marina making the case for a fifth Trawl, Jemma back on the dating apps for the 98th time, and Jonathan Pie for pudding. Stay hydrated, Trawlers! Join the 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…

A pub in Bethnal Green looked up, clocked who'd walked in, and collectively decided: not here, love. Katie Hopkins was shown the door. She did not go gracefully. Marina and Jemma are delighted - but one pub doing the right thing doesn't mean the country is... This week they unpick what feels like a genuine shift: Elon Musk platforming Tommy Robinson, Lord Hannan's baffling racist football tweet, Rupert Lowe's crowdfunded grooming gangs report, and an attack on Muslim men in Edinburgh. All connected. Plus: schools melting, the Mooch Trawl Meets incoming, and a woman who ate Pringles horizontally for two days and went viral. Join the 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…

Nigel Farage gets caught recycling an old England supporter photo, proving once again that authenticity isn't really his game. The Trawl ladies revel in a glorious montage of his Question Time appearances, hear James O'Brien's disbelief and ask why politicians always seem to own a fancy-dress box full of high-vis jackets and football shirts. Elsewhere, the political landscape shifts dramatically as Keir Starmer resigns, prompting a look at what his leadership leaves behind and what comes next, with Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner and Zack Polanski all entering the conversation. Plus: Ian Wright says what we're all thinking about Trump's America hosting the World Cup, Emma Hayes delivers a masterclass in a set that looks suspiciously like a kitchen. Jemma and Marina appreciate the internet's latest football crush, enjoy an Australian chant that deserves a place in the terraces hall of fame, and finish with a pudding guaranteed to send you off smiling. Politics, football and the internet at their chaotic best,…

For one glorious moment, Makerfield became the centre of the political universe, and what a moment it was. Jemma and Marina rewind the clock to relive Andy Burnham's emphatic by-election win, celebrate Robert Kenyon's spectacular defeat and ask whether Reform UK's momentum has finally hit a few inconvenient speed bumps. They also marvel at the increasingly surreal Sarah Pochin, wonder what Nigel Farage is plotting next and revel in some truly exceptional online reactions. Elsewhere, Prince William proves he's just like the rest of us by... sending Prince George to Eton, the Bell End of the Week competition reaches new heights, Cilla returns to play Blind Date with some familiar political faces and Russell Kane serves up this week's pudding. Politics, pomp, petty nonsense and plenty of laughs. Just another day on The Trawl. 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…

Starmer's government is facing another defence row after senior figures quit over military spending, reigniting questions about Britain's preparedness, Russia's growing threat and whether billions more should be poured into defence while public services struggle. Meanwhile, Labour's proposed ban on social media for under-16s has sparked a fierce debate. Will it protect young people from online harm, or is it a sticking-plaster solution that lets tech companies off the hook? Marina and Jemma dig into the arguments, hear what young people themselves have to say, and ask whether we're tackling the real problem. Plus: Tommy Robinson's latest grift, overnight oats discourse, and a heart-warming update on the Ugandan nurse whose story moved so many Trawlers. As ever, there's rage, nuance, laughter and a pudding to send you into the weekend. Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets The link to support Sumayah and Stella who are support workers left homeless after the Belfast riots is…

Marina and Jemma try to wrap their heads around the arrival of the world's first trillionaire. Just how much money is a trillion dollars, and what does it say about modern society that one man can accumulate that level of wealth while millions struggle? They also dive into Gwyneth Paltrow's eyebrow-raising appearance in a luxury Israeli property campaign, Trump's increasingly bizarre White House UFC extravaganza, and the jaw-dropping comments aimed at Michelle Obama during the event. Plus, the pair unpack Trump's latest Iran deal, ask whether the self-proclaimed master negotiator has managed to outdo himself in spectacular fashion, and take a look at some of the more surreal moments emerging from the World Cup. Expect outrage, disbelief, dark humour and plenty of "for f's sake" moments along the way. 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…

Marina and Jemma have been away for a short break, unfortunately Britain hasn't exactly held itself together while they've been away. In this Trawl, they tackle the racist violence that erupted in Belfast, why calling it a "riot" doesn't come close to describing what happened, and the politicians, pundits and social media moguls helping to fan the flames. They look at the shocking media takes that followed, from attempts to justify the attacks to outright denial of what was unfolding in plain sight. Plus, why are anti-genocide protesters and Palestine Action activists facing tougher consequences than some of the people terrorising families in their homes? There's also a tribute to the late David Hockney, whose life and work brought colour to millions, a roundup of the week's most jaw-dropping commentary, and a healthy serving of underrateds and pudding. It's a heavy one. But some weeks demand it. Get your tickets for The Trawl Live from https://thetrawl.tix.to/tickets Thank you for sharing and please do…