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The Trawl

The Trawl

By: Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss
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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
  • Ivanka's Island, Trump's Pool & a Very Angry Albania
    Jun 11 2026

    Marina and Jemma dive into Trump's increasingly chaotic behaviour, the World Cup visa fiasco, and the extraordinary protests sweeping Albania, where thousands are taking on billionaire land grabs in what protesters are calling the Flamingo Revolution.


    Meanwhile, Trump is sleeping through basketball games, storming out of interviews and comparing the size of his beloved reflecting pool to skyscrapers.


    Along the way, there's a brilliant masterclass in debating misogyny from Dean Withers, a reminder that billionaires still wanting more might be one of humanity's great unsolved mysteries, and a pudding courtesy of the late, great Steve Irwin that restores a little faith in what real strength looks like.


    From vanity projects and billionaire entitlement to people finally pushing back, this week's Trawl asks a simple question: why are we letting these people have everything?



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



    Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

    Patreon

    https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast

    Youtube

    https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl

    Twitter

    https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast


    If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including:


    • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on

    • Early access to The Trawl Meets…

    • Glorious ad-free episodes


    Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat.


    And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone.


    Come join the fun:


    https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
  • Question Time Carnage, Vance Comes for Britain & Pride Fights Back
    Jun 9 2026

    In this episode Jemma and Marina are trawling through a week so full of weapons-grade stupidity they barely know where to start. But first first, they take the opportunity to say Happy Pride Month, Trawlers.


    Comedian James Barr absolutely dismantles conservative commentator Michael Knowles live on Piers Morgan Uncensored, and it is glorious. Reform's candidate for Makerfield, Robert Kenyon, somehow survives Question Time despite his brain leaving the building. The audience's contempt was, frankly, delicious. Then JD Vance wades into British politics with a tweet so pernicious and so factually wrong that even David Lammy lands a few good punches in response.


    Plus: Reform weaponising the prostate cancer screening announcement, the press's very selective outrage, why "I was raised by my mum" is not the defence against sexism Rob Kenyon thinks it is, Durham Pride getting a beautiful solidarity-fuelled upgrade, and the horrifying stat that puts the whole week in perspective.


    Furious? You should be. But at least you're furious with friends.


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



    Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

    Patreon

    https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast

    Youtube

    https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl

    Twitter

    https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast



    If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including:


    • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on

    • Early access to The Trawl Meets…

    • Glorious ad-free episodes


    Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat.


    And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone.


    Come join the fun:


    https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • The Cost of Being Young, Job Hunting & Katie Price
    Jun 4 2026

    Marina and Jemma dive into the growing crisis facing young people in Britain.


    With more than a million young people now classed as NEETs (not in education, employment or training), they explore why finding work has become so difficult, why endless application processes are leaving candidates exhausted and demoralised, and why many feel the social contract has broken down completely.


    Featuring clips from across social media and the political landscape, they discuss everything from impossible job requirements and AI-driven recruitment to housing costs, stagnant wages and the growing sense that younger generations are being asked to work harder for less.


    They also examine what countries like the Netherlands are doing differently, whether politicians are finally waking up to the scale of the problem, and why an entire generation increasingly feels locked out of the future.


    Plus: a brief detour into the never-ending Katie Price saga, an unexpectedly profound discussion about social media and loneliness, and a pudding that perfectly captures the absurdity of today's jobs market.


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


    Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

    Patreon

    https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast

    Youtube

    https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl

    Twitter

    https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast



    If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including:


    • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on

    • Early access to The Trawl Meets…

    • Glorious ad-free episodes


    Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat.


    And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone.


    Come join the fun:


    https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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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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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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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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