The Trawl Podcast

At time of record, people in some parts of the UK will be voting in their local elections. Also at time of record Mark Carney is the new Prime Minister of Canada, having beaten previous favourite, conservative candidate Poilievre. Had it not been for Trump, the result probably would have looked very different so Marina and Jemma conclude that it's arguably the best thing Trump's done in his first 100 days. With regard to Mango Mussolini's time in charge so far, some great clips follow. One is particularly angry and one is revoltingly sycophantic. The Trawl ladies also muse on what is likely to happen here in the UK if Farage sees his party achieve big gains. Will it mean him being on Question Time even more? And then, a departure from politics. Before and after pictures of singer, Olly Murs, has got people talking. He's changed his physique completely but the interesting part is the difference between what the majority of females and the majority males think about his new look. Underrateds follow and pudding is served by Larry and Paul and it's very British. It's all about the weather. Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

This episode begins with a tribute to Virginia Giuffre who sadly died this week. Marina and Jemma touch on what she suffered at the hands of various abusers and talk about how she took on some of the world's most powerful men. The Trawl ladies consider how much bravery that would have required and let Emily Maitlis have the final word. And then to America we go for this week's Trump digest: a digest which could cause indigestion. The main theme of this ep is 'how stupid is he?' Falling asleep at the Pope's funeral with his blue suit and tie on, sat there with his mouth open like a cod fish, he hardly comes across as someone with gravitas. Meanwhile, in terms of press attention, the poor old Pope was almost overshadowed by the President's meeting with Zelensky where it seemed to finally dawn on Trump that Putin wasn't taking any notice of his tweets. Still, after the horrific bomb attack in Kyiv he obviously felt it was worth another go so told him to STOP, in caps, for extra oomph. Sure, that ought to do it, Donny. Marina and Jemma also discuss the ongoing fallout of putting tariffs on Chinese goods and what Amazon has (or rather hasn't post a call from The White House) been up to.Not only does he not understand tariffs, he also doesn't seem to understand photoshop. It's been a confusing week for Trump but under rated tweets and clips provide some wonderful Trump relief (back to indigestion again...) Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Things kick-off with an aptly updated version of Green Day's song 'American Idiot' which they performed at Coachella last week before a sassy, direct and frankly refreshing take on the state of affairs in the US from news channel, MSNBC. BBC take note...Then fetch the sick-bags as the ladies share with you a montage of obnoxious obsequiousness from Trump's cabinet who couldn't be further up his bottom. Strangely, not one of them thought to query their dear leader on the plummeting stock market and dollar, nor the mounting trade war with China which has now reached tariff levels so obscene that Marina and Jemma have a theory for how Trump and his team arrived at them. Next up, prepare for a moment of hilarious awkwardness as Trump navigates a reporter questioning him ad to whether China's Xi Jinping has given him a call. We'll let you make your minds up as to what you believe, but Jemma certainly smelt something pongy. Marina has some unexpected words of praise for Trump who is the most supportive boss in the world when it comes his leaky Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth who has been caught sharing Houthi attack plans (or 'Hooties' if you're Trump) with his wifey, bro and lawyer...as you do. And Trump takes on a new enemy, Harvard University - in a legal battle that will either blaze or burn the trail for other institutions in Trump's firing line.Finally the ladies check in on Musk after a disastrous week for Tesla followed by some punchy underrated tweets including a clip on the negatives of being a liberal, topped off with a pudding of one of the best 911 calls ever!Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

The ladies open with a tale of rising from the dead... No, not Jesus Christ, but Jemma Forte when she overdid it at Marina's house last week. Conversation quickly turns to Pope Francis' passing and the reminder that often until someone dies, we don't quite realise the incredible impact they made on the people around them. And as many mourned, others memed... Jemma and Marina discuss the best reactions to Trump becoming our new pope and the awkward timing of JD Vance's encounter with Pope Francis the day before his passing. Never has the phrase 'lost the will to live' felt more pertinent. And Trump shared his grief in a way that only Trump can... by completely misjudging the mood and sharing how much he was looking forward to the funeral - such fun!Then talk turns to the Supreme Court gender ruling, where things are never as straightforward as we would like them to be and what was celebrated as a win for women's right, may turn out to be anything but. Marina shares an exchange on X with someone who questioned her support of women's rights and why this ruling potentially raises more issues than it solves, before a quick clip of someone seemingly in support of trans rights...and you won't believe who it is. Underrated tweets are Easter-themed with an appearance from two right-wing grifters followed by a poetic Pope-ey pudding from brand new contributor, Ron Gallo. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Catherine Fusillo

Launched in 2013 after an early buyout by Twitter, Vine quickly grew into one of the fastest growing platforms on the internet. The app created an entirely new category of online content: short, user-generated videos. It became the home of online creativity, birthed beloved memes and viral trends, and introduced a whole new generation of celebrity: the influencer. So, how did an app that was ten steps ahead die only three years after launch?Credits:Benedict Townsend - Host & CreatorMary Goodhart - Producer & CreatorKevyah Cardoso - Narrative & Creative ProducerPatrick Lee - Sound Design & ScoreChris Janes - MixLucy Chisholm Batten - LegalSophie Snelling - Executive ProducerAl Riddel - Head of Factual PodcastsVicky Etchells - Director of PodcastsArchive acknowledgments:CBS Sunday Morning/'From 2005: Four young internet entrepreneurs'/CBS NewsJawed Karim/‘Me at the zoo'/YouTubeChannel 4 News Theme/‘Best Endeavours'/Alan HawkshawChannel 4 News/'A year of Vine: the six second videos rivalling Twitter and Instagram'The Fox News Channel Theme/‘The Five'FOX 5/'CEO Chris Dessi Discusses Vine on Fox 5'/Brayden Shanks/The Fox News ChannelPacificRimVideoPress/'Vine Famous Jake Paul Interview about Getting Girls, High School, Fave Shoes & More!'Pop Trigger/'Breaking: Twitter Officially Shutting Down Vine'FOX 4 Now/'Twitter Kills Vine App'/The Fox News ChannelSky News/'TikTok to be banned in the US from Sunday, Supreme Court rules'BBC News/'Donald Trump's inauguration set to take place'NBC News/'TikTok is back up again in the U.S. following a shutdown overnight'Mark Zuckerberg/'Mark Zuckerberg announces the end of Meta's fact-checking program in the United States'/FacebookArtwork acknowledgments:Cathleen DovolisBrandon Moore B BowenNicholas FraserJames MoroskyAva Ryan

This episode begins with Jemma trying to find things to cheer Marina up with. Funnily enough, learning that Gove is getting a peerage doesn't do it, but the song Dame Andrea Jenkins has chosen to promote her bid to be Mayor nearly does. Then we're off to Scunthorpe where Labour have been trying to ensure that the furnaces don't go out for once and for all on British Steel. China have decided they aren't interested in it anymore, which is a huge reason to be furious with Boris Johnson (another one) because he sold it to them. With thousands of jobs at stake, Marina and Jemma wonder what might or might not happen. Then to the States, where Trump has been sitting down with a kindred spirit, the President of El Salvador, Bukele who is he paying to take people he wishes to deport and to house them in his Gulag like prisons. Hear the incredible moment Trump was caught on mic saying he would like him to take 'homegrowns' too. If only that was the only grim piece of news to come out of his adminstration but sadly......cut to, the SAVE act. Marina gives the lowdown on a piece of legislation which is almost akin to Handmaids Tale and yet might result in a surprising plot twist. Lots of underrated tweets and a wonderful pudding finish off the ep.Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Jemma and Marina hardly know where to begin such has been the fallout from Trump's crazed tariffs spree. Oh, and what can you even say about the transparent insider (and outsider) trading that has been admitted to, on camera, by the President? Who cares if ordinary people are going to pay for the nose for everything when all his rich cronies are making a killing. Seems fair. Amidst the chaos there's been pauses, climb downs, exemptions and a locking of horns with China. However, China are giving strong 'am I bothered' vibes and have been busy exposing what really happens with luxury goods which are made in their factories. If Putin plays chess, China appear to be playing Go while Trump can barely manage a bit of colouring in. The Trawl ladies go into all the detail and play the moment when Vance managed to completely insult the second biggest economy in the world by calling them peasants. Then, it's one backward leap for feminism and one giant step for Trawl kind (or something like that). Everyone's talking about Katy Perry and Co's trip to space and how nauseating it was for a myriad of reasons. You can imagine how 24 carat the Trawl gold is for this one. Enjoy!Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

The second Trawl in one week centred on the economic recklessness of Trump. But hey, when one guy's wiped nine trillion off global markets, there's a lot to unpack. There are theories as to why the Donald has chosen this path, some deeper than others. Jemma and Marina have clips to illustrate the first two and bleeps to cover up the third, which, to be fair, probably carries more weight. Do we want chlorinated chicken here? Some folk are fine with the notion, despite the reduced welfare standards and prospect of upset, American tums. Others not so much and others - like Lee Anderson - say bring it on, even if it would stuff British farmers. And of course there's Musk to consider - he's had a really full on couple of weeks, what with the protests and people hating him. Marina and Jemma don't exactly have the violins out. There's chat about delicious European food, under rated tweets and lots of funny bits. Cos what's the alternative? Pudding is Matilda Thorpe Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

What the hell is he doing? Jemma and Marina aren't the only ones asking that, or a version that. This week Trump managed to wipe 9 trillion off global markets so if you have a private pension, probably best not to look. This episode is crammed full of hard-hitting, funny and enlightening tweets. The Trawl ladies aren't convinced Americans will want to wait decades for an Industrial Revolution to occur while paying over the odds for the goods they normally buy. But hey, plenty of Maga loons are still convinced there's a grand plan. Yes, the man who bankrupted a casino and who has ‘tariffed' penguins knows exactly what he's doing. Cody Dahler serves pudding. Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

This episode starts with the delightful news that Marine Le Pen is going to 'le pen.' Then there's a review of Reform's rally in Birmingham, mainly because Led By Donkey's managed to infiltrate and lit up the NEC with pictures of Farage's pal, Putin, amongst others. And then Jemma and Marina ponder, not for the first time, why on earth Labour won't tax the uber rich as opposed to imposing cuts upon the most vulnerable in society?Fortunately, the conversation is starting to feature on mainstream TV, thanks to the brilliant Gary Stevenson on Question Time (NB Trawlers he was on Trawl Meets in May 2024. If you haven't listened it's a stellar ep) and the wonderful Julia Davies who is one of the Patriotic Millionaires who was busy on Newsnight and Sunday Morning Live. Wonderful to hear pure sense and rubbish myths being debunked. Will Labour listen though...? Meanwhile, Conor McGregor's bid to run Ireland has hit a stumbling block. Turns out having Trump's backing means naff all to the good people of Ireland. And there's an under rated clip which sounds like a spoof but it isn't. In the USA trump's faith healer is flogging seven blessings for a grand. Super! Pudding is by the brilliant Politics Joe Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

This episode starts with a trip down memory lane. If you were at school in the 90's you might feel a shiver as the r Trawl ladies relive some Sunday night theme tunes. You could call it the calm before the storm because, in the next minute, they're talking about the new child labour laws in the US. Ron De Santis wants to get those minors working through the night, ideally with no breaks. Seems fair.....Compared to Marjorie Taylor Greene however, De Santis almost cuts a reasonable figure. Marjorie is not liking the UK at the moment and makes no bones about showing her extreme disdain to a UK journalist. Hmm, that 'special' relationship appears to have gone rather toxic.Should we want any kind of a relationship with the Trump adminstration? When a young woman can be taken from the streets simply because she opposes what's happening in Palestine, you've hit a new low and yet that's what's happened to Rumeysa Ozturk. Rumeysa was on her way to meet friends at an Iftar dinner where they would break their Ramadan fast. Instead, the 30-year-old was arrested and physically restrained by immigration officers. Six plainclothes officers surrounded Ozturk as she walked alone, though the officers did not show their badges until she was restrained. Horrifying.On the subject of Palestine, Marina and Jemma barely know what to say any more given that this week, more humanitarian aid workers and medics have been killed by the Israeli army which breaches international law. Instead they have picked a few clips of brilliant people speaking powerfully. On a lighter note, Vance went to Greenland and the entire trip was so pitiful it was comical. It begs the question, is he the worst diplomat ever? Pudding is warming up for the next episode - from The Last Leg it's a brilliant poke at Labour Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Jemma and Marina sit down with YouTuber, Jimmy the Giant to chat about his political transformation from being radicalised by the right-wing media, to a becoming passionate leftie activist.Jimmy has a massive online following with over 600k subscribers on YouTube where he talks about political issues and the tactics used by the right-wing, having seen it from the other side.They discuss the rise of extreme figures on social media, why so many young men are being drawn to Reform UK and what can the Labour government be doing to combat this worrying trend.Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

There's a huge chance you've seen the Netflix drama, Adolescence, but, if you haven't, don't worry, no spoilers in this episode. However, Jemma and Marina talk around the central theme and why we all need to catch up quickly when it comes to the dangerous side of social media. Why is misogyny on the rise? How do we as a society combat the disgusting narratives people like Andrew Tate pedal to young minds? And why did this particular show have such a huge impact on its audience? The drama has been watched by 24 million people, has had a mention in Parliament and ignited millions of conversations up and down the country. The Trawl ladies discuss why that might be so. Furthermore is it a good thing or a bad thing that it has taken a programme to make people sit up and what should parents take from it?Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Reeves' Spring statement is looming but as Marina and Jemma await what sound like it's going to be underwhelming, unimaginative and full of austerity, they get into the far juicier news from across the pond. Should any attack be planned on a group chat? And even if so, perhaps inviting in a journalist wasn't the cleverest thing to do. Though given said chat is strewn with emojis and demonstrates no care for the loss of life they're planning to inflict, perhaps clever would be pushing it in the first place. Still, Trump has way more important thing to worry about than National Security. Someone's painted a portrait of him and he doesn't like it. In fact, he's furious so spends a lot of his day wailing about it on socials like the fragile cheesy wotsit he surely is. All against a backdrop of deportations on a scale that will blow your mind. Jemma and Marina had warned about Project 2025 prior to the US election, the manifesto laid out by the darkest of think tanks. Trump always said he didn't know anything about it. He also says he doesn't know anything about the incredibly serious breach of security committed by his administration....hmm. Still, Marina and Jemma probably won't be visiting America any time soon, partly because there's a chance they wouldn't be allowed in. Listen to find out why and then maybe consider if you'll be taking a 'vacation' there any time soon. URTOTW features some of the weird and wonderful and frankly desperate things people were up to during lockdown. Pudding is provided by Bill Bailey. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Jemma is fresh off a flight back from her holiday for this episode, so what better way to get her back to into the swing of things than to discuss Reform's dodgy new appointment, who once said Hitler was "brilliant" and described Bashar al-Assad as "gentle by nature". He sounds just wonderful. Next, a moment of commiseration as Jemma and Marina describe how the UK can no longer be considered a rich country due to collapsing living standards for the poorest 40%. Do you know what would come in really handy here? A Govt that gave a toss about inequality...instead we have Labour doing their best Tory impression with the latest welfare cuts.Jemma and Marina don't hold back with their views and Marina has some choice words for Starmer (on the off chance he's listening) before talk turns to why we keep hitting the poorest when we have millionaires literally asking to be taxed more. They even put their message on a big old bus...because that worked out so well last time. Finally, talk turns to the US where the arrogance of people's ignorance is quite breathtaking, especially as far as the Statue of Liberty is concerned. Then see what you make of this episode's cryptic underrated clip, followed by a billionaire-based pudding from comedian, Rhys James. And if you want to check out the underrated clip of the week and comments for yourself, here you go:https://www.instagram.com/p/DGrJVu4x_eG/Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

While Jemma suns herself on holiday, Marina has taken charge of the running order, so you're in for a Trumptastic ride...Starting with the latest in totally unnecessary trade wars. Not only do the Americans have Trump to deal with, they now have the prospect of even more expensive booze thanks to retaliatory tariffs on The EU. Trump has reassured them however, that they'll be able to drink US made Champagne... Who's going to break it to him?Jemma and Marina discuss the obscene optics of having martial arts menace, Conor McGregor at the White House (perhaps Trump and Conor are swapping notes?) before chat turns to the constitutional crisis gripping America. Musk has proven even more obnoxious with his latest X posts, leading to a perfect opportunity for Marina to play an excerpt of her 4-year old's brand new word - if you know, you know. Corruption, corruption, corruption is back once again (did it ever leave?) following Trump's new role as Tesla car salesman and now babysitter for Musk - bit of an odd choice to look after your kid if you ask us...Finally it's onto the latest assault on free speech, before talk turns briefly to Palestine and Ukraine, and how Trump's hollow promises have been exposed. Finally, a refreshing palette cleanser of a pudding from Irish comedian Justine Stafford and her take on when she sees people sharing parental advice they've received… Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Sometimes, Jemma and Marina feel like they're having a fever dream. First they're agreeing with Dan Hodges from The Mail, then Trump is confusing transgenic mice with transgender mice. Furthermore, upon being told his error, rather than burying himself under a duvet so he can hide due to abject mortification, he's doubling down. Still, it's not like this person is in charge of the US or anything. Oh.......The latest Trump week from hell has been a biggie, he's making another bid for Greenland, apropos of just...wanting it. He's really getting on Canada's nerves and more worryingly, he's causing Russia to get away with accusing the UK of being the 'main instigator' of global conflict, including the Second World War. This seems interesting to Marina and Jemma who had thought we were all agreed that that was started by the bloke who invaded Poland. Decision after heinous Trump decision makes it a pretty surreal Trawl. For instance, wanting to send Ukrainian refugees back when you've just made their country even more dangerous feels pretty low. Jemma can't handle it and needs to inject some levity with her new favourite clip. Marina's vaguely amused, but only vaguely. Still, with so much going on, it feels important to reserve some sympathy for the presenter of Pointless, Alexander Armstrong, who has been moaning to The Telegraph about VAT on private school fees while wearing a cravat.Pudding is by the genius Randy RainbowThank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

The sun has had it's hat on, in the UK. Marina is not in the UK. She's still on holiday, where it's cloudy. What are the chances? Somehow, Jemma has managed to find a Cilla clip that draws a comparison to the situation. Marina takes it well and, Trawl trooper that she is, she's packed her mic so she and Jemma can trawl through what on earth is going on at Reform UK.Despite being able to count the number of MP's they have on one hand, there's serious trouble at mill and a very public spat has ensued, seemingly triggered by Rupert Lowe thinking he should be leader post his endorsement from Musk. Watching them eat themselves, it occurs to the Trawl ladies, that maybe, just maybe the UK media gives them all far too much credence. After that Jemma and Marina discuss Labour's latest announcements concerning benefits, including disability benefits and PIP specifically. The fact they're going after the most vulnerable in society feels disgusting to them and the way they're going about it is pure Tory. Starmer promised no more austerity, there 'could' be a wealth tax, but no, it feels like the people who have the least are expected to suffer. Not good. As for the party line the MP's are spouting as they do the rounds, well, it's depressingly Tory too.After that topic it feels only fair to finish with a farewell to Darren Grimes who has left GB News. A very emotional Darren cited not being able to say exactly what he wanted to as the reason for leaving. Jemma and Marina wonder what on earth he wants to say that you can't say at the 'home of free speech.'It's bon voyage to him and hello to some under rated tweets and a brilliant pudding served by Stewart Lee. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

The Trawl ladies begin by paying tribute to Hollywood legend, Gene Hackman who has passed away. Morgan Freeman spoke powerfully about him at The Oscar's and then Jemma and Marina select their other highlight from The Academy Awards which was the emotional moment when No Other Land won Best Documentary Feature. The film which you can see on Channel 4 is about life under occupation in the West Bank and was made by an Israeli and Palestine collective. Hearing from a Palestinian man and then an Israeli who are united in their sense of injustice is a powerful moment. The rest of the episode focuses on the fallout from Zelensky's Oval Office experience. Trump is withdrawing aid from Ukraine and to all intents and purposes sounding more like a Russian asset by the minute. The Republicans are still right behind them, though Europe are not and Starmer is taking the lead on bringing leaders together to find a way forward. His warm greeting and display of affection for the Ukranian leader, coupled with Zelensky's visit to the King, is a masterclass in pass agg diplomacy. Marina tries to make sense of Trump withdrawing Russian Cyber security protections, while Jemma just tries to make sense, due to having been at a big event the night before. That said, the Trawl ladies are both very clear on what they think about Vance's insulting comments about our military. Meanwhile, the US economy is tanking and the price of eggs remains high. Nice one Trump, it's going terribly and people have had un oeuf (enough) Pudding is from the Jimmy Kimmel showEnjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

What a time to be alive. The news cycle is insane. Even people who normally don't talk about politics, are talking about politics - cue Susannah Constantine. In this episode Jemma and Marina revisit the various scenes from The Oval Office starting, of course, with Starmer's audience with the giant human wotsit that is Trump. Marina and Jemma both agreed that whilst it was faintly nauseating to watch the PM handing over a letter from the King, it was also a diplomatic coup and very cleverly played. It's fair to say Starmer's stock is up. Comedian, Michael Spicer, has a view too and provides commentary. Sadly, things didn't go as smoothly when Zelensky paid his visit and JD Vance was particularly grotesque. Marina and Jemma unpack the bullying and share the best takes they've found. Unlike Vance, they won't force you to thank them. The fallout, suit-gate and Marco Rubio's unease, it's all in this Trawl as are your underrated tweets of the week. Pudding is sung for you by The Marsh Family Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Jemma and Marina have both followed Ashley on Instagram (where she has a gigantic following) for a while now so were delighted to discover that she listens to The Trawl regularly. Ashley is the political commentator on This Morning, a vocal feminist and passionate about sharing just as much 'reality' on Insta as she does glamour. With all that in mind, Marina and Jemma were fascinated to talk about her stint at GB News, the time she interviewed porn star Bonnie Blue and to find out why she cites Ann Widdecombe as an influence. Body parts, politics and sex, nothing is off limits. It's a juicy episode as the three ladies speak their minds and find out more about Ashley. Enjoy!Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastFind Ashley here: https://www.instagram.com/ashleylouisejamesPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

The pod opens by addressing the dilemma many of us face as we try to not raise politics in every conversation, despite it impacting almost every facet of our lives, and the ladies reveal a new word that we can all begin using more often to express how we feel. And no, it doesn't begin with c...Then it's onto Starmer's defense spending announcement which was so significant that the Reform poster boys, or Putin's poodles as they should affectionately be known, didn't even bother to turn up to. There's a rundown of the latest craziness coming out of The US, which the ladies have kindly set to some retro music to make it more palatable, before delving into Trump's new grift: selling US citizenship for $5 million apiece - and would you believe it? The maths doesn't add up.After more discussion about how the land of the free is becoming less free by the day, there's some chat about Musk's first cabinet meeting as the de-facto president before the topic turns to THAT Trump-Gaza AI video.But worry not, because there are some lighter underrated tweets to leave you feeling hopeful and a delicious French pudding to boot. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Jemma and Marina are concerned for any Trawlers who may have been left unsettled after their recent chat about Stormzy's controversial McDonald's deal so they are delighted to read a statement on the matter. Though it is written by Michael Spicer so tongues should be placed firmly in cheeks. There is an over view of some terrible behaviour from various MP's and then we're off to CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) or beep, beep, beep and beep as Marina aptly renames it! It shouldn't be funny, but it is. The Trawl ladies discuss the spectacle of a grown man wielding a power tool, Nazi salutes and the utter gibberish coming from Truss and the unpatriotic maligning of Britain from Farage. After all that some seeds of revolution are desperately needed. And Jemma and Marina think they've come up trumps (pardon the pun). There follow some incredible clips who are not going to take what's happening either quietly or lying down. Under rated Tweets end the ep along with pudding from Trawl faves The Exploding Heads. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

The Trawl ladies are dismayed to learn that worldwide Joe Rogan has three billion listeners. His is the most popular podcast in the world which is why it's rather disturbing to hear him saying that Musk isn't doing anything for the money..... Fortunately, plenty of other people, aren't as impressed and a clip of former governor Michael Steele, who was also chair of the Republican National Committee, losing his temper MSNBC is blistering and somewhat reassuring given the fact he's a Republican. Then we head to the Oval Office to discuss what happened when Musk's toddler started mouthing things at Trump. The ladies discuss. That scene was fascinating but perhaps more known about than the dialogue on X between Musk and someone called Ashley St Clair who claims Musk is the father of the child. The Trawl have the screengrabs, which is good because they were mysteriously deleted. Almost like someone at X didn't like them.There's more Musk scandal due to the fact that DOGE have published ultra classified information on their website only with no apparent repercussions while Trump spends his valuable time bullying Romania into releasing Andrew Tate. Good to see they have their priorities straight. There are under rated tweets as ever and pudding is by the wonderful Cody Dahler. Enjoy!Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Just occasionally, social media can deliver something really heart warming and Jemma and Marina were moved by the fact that Jamie Theakston's listeners at Heart FM cared enough to make him see a doctor when they noticed his voice had changed. As a result he received a cancer diagnosis and fortunately now has been given the all clear. His words are really worth listening to. And the BAFTA for best presenter goes to.....David Tennant for making not one, not two but three Trump jokes during his monologue at the start of the BAFTAS, though only one made the final cut on the BBC and some of the backlash on socials was intense to say the least. You'd think people would save their vitriol for the speech JD Vance made during which he insulted Europe and singled out the UK for a punch or two too. So much for that 'special relationship.' Vance claimed that over here 'free speech is in retreat' which is interesting given the US have just banned a children's book by Julianne Moore about a girl who has freckles. Marina and Jemma give a full fash chart rundown, literally to the Top of the Pops music and consider what could happen if Europe stand firm against the US. Pudding is sung by Martin Kerr Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

The sun came out in Britain for about five minutes so Marina and Jemma thought they'd better begin this episode with that incredible news. Maybe blue sky (not the social media platform) will take the edge of the new world order? But first, seeing as the news is borderline dystopian and jaw-droppingly surreal, it's only natural that the BBC should be focusing on Rachel Reeves' LinkedIn and whether or not she put £49 on expenses 100 years ago. TOTALLY NORMAL COUNTRY. Meanwhile, Trump appears to be blaming Ukraine for the fact that Russia invaded them. Worse than that, he's not just a Putin apologist, he's a fan. A fascinating clip of Former Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull on what he observed in-person when Trump met Putin illustrates this perfectly. Sadly, in the UK we have our own apologists, none more so ill-informed than Richard Tice who was taken to task by Julia Hartley Brewer for comparing the situation to Northern Ireland. Trump's appeasement has put Boris Johnson in a bind. How do you support Trump and Zelensky at the same time? You can only do so if you have zero integrity. So he manages perfectly fine. Pudding is served by comedian Will Sebag Montefiore.Find us here:Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss.

Love, positivity, drama, scandal, horror, and chaos, it's all in the air during this episode of The Trawl. Marina has a theory. She suspects that Jemma had a lot of stuff bookmarked that wasn't appropriate for normal Trawls so has decided to do a Valentine's ep so she can sandwich it in. She might be right...The Trawl ladies kick off with some reasons to be cheerful and reminders that whilst it might not feel like given the political hellscape, the world is full of wonderful people. Not just power hungry billionaires and authoritarian leaders. It's a timely reminder. Then the Trawl takes a musical turn because social media has been dominated by the off- pitch shenanigans at the Superbowl. Taylor Swift was in the audience watching her partner play and got booed by MAGA. Trump (and this will amaze you) reacted like a petulant toddler with the maturity of a gnat. Meanwhile rapper Kendrick Lamar was on stage making all sorts of pointed references to frenemy Drake. in fact it's fair to say the football probably didn't receive as much speculation as his performance did. Then Marina and Jemma briefly discuss Kanye West's disgusting Twitter tirades and his odd appearance on the red carpet at The Grammy's with girlfriend Bianca Censori who was naked in a way that wasn't entirely comfortable for onlookers. It probably wasn't entirely comfortable for her either. Definitely chilly. And then Jemma leads a valentine's section,, on her own. She explains why but don't worry, the Trawl ladies haven't split. They'll be back together for the whole of the next ep. Pudding is full of love - enjoy!Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Marina has been feeling particularly overwhelmed by the news cycle lately so Jemma insists on joining in the UK conversation about identifying as llamas. Labour MP, Andrew Gwynne, has been fired for writing dodgy WhatsApps and his replacement tweeted (years ago) something about not caring if people want to identify as llamas. Cue right wing meltdowns from the usual suspects. Still, thankfully Lee Anderson is on hand to explain what a llama is in case his followers weren't sure. Sadly the trawl ladies have to take the plunge and head to the US where Trump and Musk are doing their level best to dismantle democracy. Musk is refusing court orders and wants to get rid of any judges he doesn't agree with. Bit fashy, no? Trump is disbanding taskforces who were in charge of targeting oligarchs and brilliant journalist, Carole Cadwalladr has described what's happening as a digital coup. Still, Truss is delighted that Trump is bringing back plastic straws, so someone's happy.There's a string of other travesties to discuss, including the latest disgusting rhetoric on Gaza and a pleasing clip which demonstrates Trump's thin skinned response to Musk being on the front of Time Magazine. There are under rated tweets of course and pudding is from comedian, Reed Galen. Enjoy! Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Marina and Jemma open with a flicker of good news, before putting on their waders to get stuck into the latest political developments stateside...They revisit the ugly fallout from the two fatal air disasters, Trump's inane ramblings and the insanity of blaming diversity, equity and inclusion before turning their attention to the latest monstrosity to fall out of Trump's mouth when discussing his intentions for Gaza - or what he is now referring to as 'The Riviera of the Middle East'.There's some brief chat around Marina watching CGI videos of mega prisons in El Salvador (which will become clear once you listen ) before the conversation moves to deportations and how the White House chose to, in an act of rank immaturity and unprofessionalism, single out actress Selena Gomez. We finish off with the constitutional crisis facing America as Musk and his allies infiltrate Government departments and cut off life-saving aid, and the undeniable reality of the richest man on earth taking away support from the very poorest, and how somehow the Trump-evangelicals will still find a way to wrap their warped minds around that... Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Jemma and Marina open with a nod to the five year Brexit anniversary, sharing details from all the wonderful celebratory street parties and endless Brexit benefits... Except they didn't, as they were and are none, as even GB News found out. There's some chat around Starmer's trip to the EU and what it means before moving swiftly on to another country that is stupid enough to wage tariff wars with its closest trading partners - hello Trump's US. The ladies discuss the caving of Trump on his threat to apply 25% tariffs to Canada and Mexico, while observing that actually all world leaders need to do is make Trump think he's had a victory, instead of actually letting him have one. Meanwhile China, the real adversary, gets a 10% tariff applied which prompts a tweet from Marina that attracted MAGA trolls telling her to 'cry harder'. We wrap up with some highlights include the revoking of a church license from everyone's least favourite priest and a delightful US election-themed pudding. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

It's the podcast that trawls social media so you don't have to. Join political commentator Marina Purkiss and broadcaster Jemma Forte to find the most interesting, hilarious and sometimes ridiculous takes of the week's trending news. Here's a segment from some of their recent episodes on Trump ‘saving' TikTok (and why we should be very worried) and whether Labour have just become Tories 2.0? Listen to The Trawl wherever you find your podcasts.

Marina and Jemma begin this episode talking about their various coping strategies for living through a political binfire and... January. They have classical music in common but a clip from comedian Michael Spicer causes them to wonder, is The Trawl the equivalent to Classic FM? Then, they can't put if off any longer, it's time to find out what the newly inaugurated President has been up to and man, he's been busy. Busy making hellish statements about Gaza, busy deporting people, busy making cuts to cancer research, and busy dismissing government watchdogs and hiring cronies. The Trawl ladies are particularly alarmed by his pick for Secretary of Defence, a Fox News anchor called Pete Hegseth who wants to change his role to 'Secretary of War.' Okaaaaay.Still, Trump has claimed that Starmer is doing a 'good job'. Coming from him it's hardly praise you want framed. And inevitably Jemma and Marina want to discuss the fact that Musk spoke at an AfD rally in Germany. His words were chilling but hardly surprising given his choice of hand gesture on the world stage the week before. There are underrateds of course and pudding is a bit different to usual. A writer called Nate White wrote a magnificent response to the question 'Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?' Pudding gives you a flavour of his wonderful answer. Enjoy!Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Sophie Snelling

Jemma opens with some imaginings of a world far different from the one we inhabit now, where Trump is deposed, Putin is departed and David Attenborough leads the way, before swiftly moving on to the stark reality of our times...And yes, the world has indeed gone mad, so the first clip of this episode is a pure dose of sense and humanity, which just so happens to come from a 14 year old named Zach.Then into the Labour government we go, and the reviews are far from five stars. Jemma and Marina discuss the perils of maintaining the status quo, the cravenness of the non-dom U-turn and Starmer's hate for tree huggers. There's a turn up for the books, as Marina has a momentary moment of praise for the Royal Family - specifically Prince Harry who took on Murdoch and won, followed by the petty Piers Morgan-led online spat with Hugh Grant that ensued. There's a howler of an underrated tweet of the week and an wonderfully profound quote that reminds us why we must never give up. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Sophie Snelling

He's back... Like a bad stench that won't go away, except now it's gone from foul, to putrid and dangerous. Jemma and Marina wade through the inauguration fall out, including an interesting case of f*ck around and find out. They discuss The Village People anthem performed during Trump's big day, which feels like an interesting choice for the MAGA bigots, then it's onto Melania's hat choice (genius move) and the peep show triggered by the garment worn by the partner of Jeff Bezos, or indeed lack of garment. Like flies to sh*t, the UK's very own worst exports coalesced around Trump, as did the world's richest and most powerful tech bros who found themselves in front row, even ahead of the elected officials. And then it came...that gesture from Musk, the "odd looking salute", the "Roman salute", the "show of love"...the ARE WE ALL LOSING OUR MINDS, IT WAS A NAZI SALUTE FFS!!! TWICE!!!And breathe. Or at least try to remain calm, as Jemma and Marina talk you through a smattering of the most petty, spiteful and damaging Executive Orders dished out in week one. And guess what...not one will impact the price of eggs. The pod finishes with a show of strength from Rev.Mariann Budde who spoke for the church in a way that many Christians would appreciate, unless of course you're a Trump Christian who is now calling for her deportation - just as Jesus would have done. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Marina and Jemma are finding January 'interesting.' Certainly 'Dry Janning' is beyond them. Trump's been inaugurated for goodness sake and there's a lot of batshittery to Trawl through before they can even begin on that! In this one the Trawl ladies kick off by discussing the 'temporary' ceasefire in Gaza. There's a clip of actor, Guy Pearce, whose response encapsulates the underwhelm they're experiencing given the killing seems to have continued. It's also horrendous to witness Trump and Biden using the announcement as a political football, to unpick Starmer's reaction, to see Netanyahu using language which shows little resolve. On top of that there's a Trump clip which is truly sickening. He quite clearly views Palestine as wonderful real estate and even cites 'great weather.' It goes without saying, any break from the relentless violence is welcome and to be celebrated, but it doesn't mean what's taken place isn't tragic, brutal and unforgivable.Marina and Jemma have a conversation about social media which brings to light what Jemma has been watching on TikTok because it's been making waves and headlines. Not content with controlling X and Meta, Trump also has designs on TikTok and is also on intent on making money from it. This is despite being the one who wanted it banned, which he said repeatedly. The ladies have receipts. Then there's the coin Trump has released and he's made billions. He might as well just say GIVE ME YOUR MONEY NUMBNUTS.Still, on a positive, Isabel Oakeshott has moved to Dubai...Larry and Paul's Broken News are your pudding. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Jemma and Marina were thrilled when two of the original members of UB40 agreed to come on The Trawl Meets. After all, the group are one of the most commercially successful bands of all time, having sold more records than Oasis, over 100 million to be precise. Of course they are almost as known for their political leanings as they are for their wonderful music so it's a match made in Trawl heaven.Even the band's name is famously a reference to the unemployment benefit form, each had signed having left school without a job, so it was fascinating to chat politics, music and everything in between with drummer, Jimmy Brown and guitarist Robin Campbell. They talked about how they began, what it was like to be discovered by Chrissie Hynde and why history comes full circle. They and other members of the band have always spoken out against racism and indeed, protested against the National Front decades ago. Yet here we are and Farage and Robinson et al are on the rise. Have we gone backwards? The band supported Corbyn when he was Labour leader so how do they feel now and what do they make of Starmer? Are we all preaching to the converted or can art change minds? And what really happened when Robin's brother, Ali, left the band? Get the real lowdown, their no holds barred version and, it being The Trawl expect some giggles as well. Jemma's been making Max make UB40 inspired jingles. Pudding is served by another reggae legend - the one and only Bob Marley. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Everyone's favourite economy crasher is back on the scene... And she doesn't much like it when you call her that. Yes, Liz Truss is back and this time she's had a cease and desist letter issued to Keir Starmer over the 'defamatory' claim that she 'crashed the economy''. Ok hun.But litigious letters are likely the least of Starmer's worries after what was a monstrous week for Labour. Jemma and Marina discuss the breaking news regrading former Labour minister, Ivor Caplin who appeared to have been caught by a vigilante group on his way to meet a child, and the resignation of treasury minister Tulip Siddiq after controversy over links to her aunt's dodgy political movement in Bangladesh. On top of that, Reeves is getting all kids of flack (including from lard casserole, Boris Johnson) for her handling of the budget. Marina and Jemma bring balance to the conversation with their two cents, which is more than can be said for some Tories who insist on telling the media that Reeves should be sacked for not cleaning up 14 years of their mess in 5 minutes. Lastly, are you all done with the truth? Because Mark Zuckerberg is, and as a result, we all are too. The ladies discuss the Meta CEO's decision to bin fact checkers as we enter a new oligarch-dominated post-truth era, and chat about Zuckerberg's now-viral comments about needing more masculine energy in the workplace. If that's what he wants, as the Have I Got news for You account wrote, Zuckerberg could start by shaving off his nan's perm. A touch of inauguration chat about Trump's toddler-like behaviour ahead of the inauguration, before the ladies leave you with a pertinent pudding clip from The Exploding Heads named: CEO ANNOUNCES COMPANY NOW FULL FASCIST Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Climate change reminded us it doesn't care one jot where you live or how much money you have last week.Marina and Jemma discuss the apocalyptic scenes from LA as fires tore through the region, with some personal experiences that Jemma has permission to share from her friends caught up in the catastrophe. They discuss the perfect storm that led to this and how the fires were not unexpected - in fact, you know who definitely expected the fires? Insurance companies - with many LA residents now being left without a thing because their home insurance company wouldn't cover them. Imagine having to pay a mortgage on a home that no longer exists.An incredible tweet from Keith Wasserman - a wealthy man who thought he could buy his way out of the catastrophe sparks a discussion as to whether this could serve as a wake-up call, plus there's disgust at how Republicans and the right have weaponised the fires to point the finger of blame at...wait for it...diversity, equity and inclusion. And brace yourself for a clip of Trump regarding potential climate disasters that has aged like milk. But there is a silver lining, as New York make political history that Jemma and Marina believe the rest of the world should follow, if only they had the balls.The ladies finish up with a 'Rachel from accounts' teaser plus pudding from Professor Brian Cox that feels perfectly pertinent. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Over the Christmas period, Marina went down a rabbit hole she found completely fascinating. She was vaguely worried Jemma wouldn't feel the same but she need not have worried. This ep begins with a bit of ‘January' comedy and ends with potential WW3. Cool! But the meat in this strange sandwich, centres around US H-1B Visas which sounds horrifically dull. Only, when you look into what they are, who supports them, who doesn't and why, it all suddenly becomes fascinating. Promise! Partly because the topic has also led to Trump doing a complete about turn having pledged to banish them. Only his bestie and, let's face it, Master, Musk is keen to continue employing hundreds of thousands of migrants he can undercut. Marina and Jemma end up discussing work/life balance and reflect upon different cultural attitudes when it comes to working 9-5 or 7-10 or whatever it may be. With tweets and wonderful clips as ever, it's a Trawl which takes a few turns before ending with a pudding which also demonstrates that maybe capitalism having taken a neo-liberal turn isn't serving many of us anymore. Rethink anyone?Enjoy!Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

The Trawl is back! Jemma and Marina are thrilled to be back behind their mics but could not have predicted the kind of fallout and controversy they'd be back with. A certain tech bro, out of control billionaire, has been firing off tweets suggesting, amongst other things, that the US should exert economic pressure on the UK to get far-right agitator Tommy Robinson out of prison and that King Charles should dissolve Parliament, while crossing so many lines there aren't any lines left to cross. At the heart of his rantings is a very serious and tragic issue, the vile grooming gangs who sexually abused and tortured young girls in places such as Rochdale and Rotherham and whose victims have been let down and failed by politicians of all flavours, the police, and councils. Jemma and Marina discuss why drawing attention to a topic which does deserve more focus isn't the same as wanting to interfere in a country's democratic processes. As for calling out Jess Phillips in the reprehensible manner that Musk has, they spend a bit of time discussing why that is so wrong and looking at reaction. As for the drop mic moment when Musk declared that Farage should not be leading Reform a mere few hours after Farage had been sucking up to him on the Laura Kuenssberg show, the Trawl ladies have just the right clip to express how it made them feel. And of course, a Trawl would not be a Trawl without pudding and under-rated tweets. Enjoy!Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

The Trawl ladies are getting ready to get back to business. Their thumbs and brains have had a good rest from scrolling and the internet is getting ready for more politics based content. So this is the last 'special' episode before it's back to regular Trawling and Jemma and Marina are enormously grateful to everyone who sent in questions for them to answer and/or put in 'requests.' Find out how Marina and Jemma met, what their biggest regret in life is and who they would shag, marry or snog in a nightmarish version of that game. There are underrated clips and tweets too and plenty of laughs.Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

On the first day of the New Year, Marina and Jemma aren't quite ready to look forwards. So instead they return to the Trawl archives to relive some of the weirdest and most wonderful parts from vintage episodes. Lots of laughs, some wonderful clips and a very healthy smattering of bell-ends. We hope you enjoy!Happy New Year!Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Jemma and Marina are in a nostalgic mood so have trawled through the Trawl archives to find some of their favourite bits from old episodes. A theme soon emerges. It transpires that the Trawl ladies are most prone to losing it whenever the Royals feature. Relive some of the Coronation chaos, some Paddington Pathos and a very special Order of the Bush. But it's not all regal, there are weird pronunciations from Jeremy Hunt too and enough bell endery to make this a very funny trip down memory lane.. Merry Christmas!Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Ding dong, your festive Trawl is here! We're almost at the undoing top button stage of the season, so Jemma and Marina open with some festive tweets and a clip that captures then mood of low work motivation at this time of year.Then it's straight to the most heartwarming clip of all... Who needs Hallmark movies when you have: 'When Marina met Annunziata.' Yes, this is the encounter that went viral when Marina debated with Annunziata Rees-Mogg on the Jeremy Vine Show. It's a bit like when Harry met Sally, except they don't move past the part where they find each other completely obnoxious. Staying on obnoxious, the Trawl ladies discuss Robert Jenrick's sudden charge of heart and why the right seems to have forgotten its no-nonsense stance on protests since farmers took to the streets. Next up.... The Prince and the Spy. Which sadly for us is not the name of some work of fiction, but indeed the latest Royal update involving HRH, Air Miles Andy, plus some handy tips for how we might avoid spending £46m on a statue for Queen Elizabeth II. Lastly... Lunch is for wimps and sandwiches are for breakfast is the latest insight from the topsy-turvy world of Tory Leader, Kemi Badenoch who instead chooses to have steak delivered to her desk like the totally in-touch, woman of the people, nouveau working class person that she is. To end, a sprinkling of merry underrated tweets and clips before a Christmas pudding that is guaranteed to leave you feeling that finally...Christmas has arrived. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Jemma and Marina were thrilled to meet one third of the Newsagents, Lewis Goodall. They chatted to him about where his passion for politics began, his relationship with the BBC and why some listeners are confused by his relationship with John and Emily.There's also a fantastic round of Snog, Marry, Avoid.Enjoy!

You can tell everyone at Trawl HQ (Jemma, Marina and editor Max) are sliding towards Christmas because the atmosphere is tinged with faint hysteria. It's not just Gregg Wallace who is turning the air blue, Nigella's at it, even Prue Leith is at it! Who'd have thought baking could sound so filthy?Then, reasons to be cheerful, ranging from Rees Mogg having his show cancelled, Johnson's Australian book tour having to be cancelled due to 'unforeseen circumstances' (AKA no one coming) and last, but definitely not least, and certainly more important, the fall of the brutal Assad regime in Syria. Marina and Jemma discuss what's happened, cover some of the reaction, and hear from joyful Syrians who feel like going home has just become a possibility. It's almost like they were fleeing violence and persecution and not just here for benefits as some would have us believe. Reform and Co ...ahem. Then, buckle up, because there has been some Twitter BEEF - and yes, we are still calling it Twitter. Sure Elon will cope. Marina and Jemma enjoy recalling Marina's interactions with one Isabel Oakeshott which went viral and revealed so much about what she thinks of anyone who doesn't have a degree from a certain type of university, which is most of the population. Elitist anyone?It's all very amusing but not as downright hilarious as Lee Anderson's latest clanger. Ladies, prepare to find out why what you go through every month is nothing compared to what Lee's imagination has to suffer. Pudding is wonderful and served up by Will Sebag Montefiore @wsebag on Insta Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

The Trawl opens with some festive cheer as Marina shares the daily advent calendar struggles in her house and Jemma enlightens us with her pre-Christmas clog. Then it's onto Farage's 38th BBC Question Time appearance where the ladies discuss motives behind why the BBC politics panel show may as well be called: Farage and Friends.Then onto the shocking events unfolding in the US, where United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was murdered in broad daylight in what appears to be a protest killing against the ruthlessly for-profit industry.What's most shocking of all, is that the vast public response and sentiment to this brazen and targeted murder seems to be far from sympathetic. Jemma and Marina discuss some of the alleged horror stories from the US healthcare system and the perceived martyrdom of murder suspect Luigi Maglione and what it means, as well as the now famous smile that gave him away to the NYPD. The episode ends with some joyous underrated tweets about 'scientits' and a Christmas flavoured pud from new Trawl fave, Cody Dahler. Follow us here:https://x.com/TheTrawlPodcasthttps://www.tiktok.com/@thetrawlpodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/thetrawlpod/https://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialhttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl

Jemma has been eager to get behind the mic for this one. Being a middle class woman of a 'certain' age has nothing to do with it, honest guv. On that note, the Trawl ladies aren't entirely sure what 'that' certain age is but there's so much to mull over they might never get an answer to thatBut there's more to ponder besides Gregg, so they kick off discussing the resignation of Labour's Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh. Haigh was mugged many years ago and said her work phone was one of the items stolen, only said phone then turned up. As far as the Trawlers are concerned this spent conviction pales into comparison with assaulting a woman (Reform MP) or hacking a colleague's computer (Badenoch) but hey....Marina and Jemma also discuss the Assisted Dying Bill and give their very personal views on that. And then, finally, they turn their attention to the Gregg Wallace brouhaha. Is there a woman who hasn't taken to socials to say how him blaming his accusers of his alleged misconduct probably wasn't the best plan?One man however thinks he's a male icon and the ladies have a lot to say about that. Marina surprises Jemma with an underrated tweet she wasn't expecting which ends the ep on a very funny note. Pudding is brilliant - short but sweet and starring comics Mark Thomas and Shappi Khorsandi.

The pod opens with a nod to the festive season and how Marina handles questioning from her husband as more Christmas decorations enter the house, before kicking off with the non-scoop of the century from Charlotte Gill.Charlotte, bless her, is a journalist (feels like a bit of a reach) who believes she has unearthed a shady underground network of left-leaning people and organisations. Just wait until you hear about her latest link revelations...Then it's onto the meat of the episode and it's Musk who has been flirting with Reform leading to an article in The times questioning whether a $100m donation could be making its way from Space Karen to Pound Shop Enoch. The ladies discuss the rank hypocrisy at play and the desperate need for political financing reform - not tomorrow, not in a year, but now. There's a good giggle at the state of Trump's Mar-a-Lago thanksgiving dinner before some serious talk and choice words from Jemma as Farage wades into the abortion debate. The pod ends with a pardon, that of Biden for his son hunter, and a deliciously matched pudding from new Trawl fave, Cody Dahler.

Well, this episode dives straight in with a bit of sex scandal. Nadine Dorries has lifted the lid on what she witnessed during her time in government and much of it was rather ‘cheeky' to say the least. What other workplace has a group WhatsApp for planning naked sessions in offices? Dorries is horrified. She was then too, apparently, but also wasn't selling a book, which she is now. Then the Trawl ladies discuss the arrest warrant which has been put out by the ICC for Netanyahu and Gallant. They feature some very powerful clips and hear why holocaust survivors are in favour of it and why calling it anti semitic is a hollow untruth. How have other countries reacted? Where does the reaction from the US leave us? And does Biden's negotiation with Lebanon mean Gaza has been pushed further down the agenda or not?And then, the complicated Musk family tree. It reads like an excerpt from Woman's Weekly! Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Have we all lost our minds? It appears so as the news this week was dominated by a petition, seemingly signed by bells and bots, demanding Keir Starmer call a general election - a mere 4 months since the last one. Jemma is inevitably quite grumpy about the whole silly affair and so opens the pod with a good moan from an equally grumpy Hugh Grant. Jemma and Marina discuss the laughable double standards of those demanding the election and ponder the loss of Will. Remember him? Will of the people who is now gone and forgotten. They discuss the dodgy nature of the Elon Musk-endorsed petition which has received signatories from the world over - including some uninhabitable corners of the planet. How very tenacious of them. And while there are some relieving laughs in the pod concerning Keir Starmer's appearance on This Morning, the ladies don't shy away from their concerns over the impact of unregulated online activity and Governments' inability to keep pace with the wild west and its broligarchs. The pod ends with some outrageously naughty underrated posts including some corkers from MasterChef's Gregg Wallace and a perfectly themed pudding from Instagram's Cody Dahler. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey