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The Trawl

The Trawl

By: Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss
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Summary

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.

Marina Purkiss & Jemma Forte
Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Reform Gains: Just Take the Bloody Bins Out
    May 13 2026

    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.

    Show More Show Less
    54 mins
  • Met Gala Hunger Games & Trumpy Bedtime Stories
    May 7 2026

    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.

    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
  • Polanski, Protests & A Very Heated Week
    May 5 2026

    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.

    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
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All stars
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I mean at this point all we've got left is laughter or tears, I'll take the laughs, thanks.

Review

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I feel so helpless. I listened to your podcast and cried. It is unbearable.
Little Max in the end gave me a bit of hope.

Thank you for your compassionate podcast.

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Fun with facts. No BS. It's like a comical version of Rest in Politics.

Love it

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First podcast I go to; highly recommended.
Joined late but liked it so much went back to the beginning

Fantastic

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I love The Trawl, it’s a good laugh and a brilliant way to keep updated on what is going on without feeling doomed.

Brilliant podcast

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