The Trawl

Marina and Jemma are riding a rare and glorious wave of optimism because on November 5th, New York City elected Zohran Mamdani as mayor. A progressive, principled, hope-restoring human who didn’t just beat the billionaire class - he trounced them. The internet rejoiced, Fox News melted down, and various billionaires were left clutching their pearls.

Marina and Jemma revel in the joy of seeing an actual adult take charge, explore the ripple effects of Mamdani’s win from Mississippi to Manhattan, and ask the big question: could Britain ever have its own Mamdani moment? Over to you Zack Polanski.

Plus: Prince Andrew’s latest rebrand, a Piers Morgan self-own and a glorious Cody Dahler pudding.

A hopeful scroll through the best kind of timeline where decency wins, billionaires sulk, and Jemma cries more than she did at the John Lewis Christmas ad.

Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast

Youtube

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

Twitter

https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast

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

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

• Early access to The Trawl Meets…

• Glorious ad-free episodes

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

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

Come join the fun:

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

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

This week on The Trawl, Marina and Jemma wade through a week so grim it makes the John Lewis Christmas ad look like a cry for help.

From Rachel Reeves’ gloomy pre-budget spin to Nigel Farage’s bright idea that young people should earn less (apparently poverty builds character), the Trawl ladies cover it all. There’s a reality check on the cost of living, a brutal look at the online reaction to the LNER train stabbings, and a dose of festive existentialism courtesy of Waitrose and a raver dad.

It’s politics, propaganda and pudding bowls of hypocrisy — all served with the usual mix of outrage, wit, and a few well-aimed “go f*** yourselfs”.

Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast

Youtube

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

Twitter

https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast

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

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

• Early access to The Trawl Meets…

• Glorious ad-free episodes

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

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

Come join the fun:

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

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

Nigel’s on strike because he's not getting enough questions at PMQ'S (widdums), Reform’s spending a lot of money on flags, and Trump’s throwing tariffs about whenever he has a tantrum. This week The Trawl is overflowing with fragile egos, bad maths and moral bankruptcy.

Marina and Jemma pick apart Nigel Farage’s latest pity party, Trump’s gold-plated meltdown over a Canadian ad, and the jaw-dropping Gaza “masterplan” that sounds more like a property pitch than diplomacy.

There are of course moments of actual joy: Finland’s women-led happiness and some cracking Under Rated's.

All that, plus jokes, rage, and the sort of catharsis only The Trawl can deliver.

Enjoy!

Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast

Youtube

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

Twitter

https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast

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

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

• Early access to The Trawl Meets…

• Glorious ad-free episodes

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

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

Come join the fun:

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

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

It’s a proper shit sandwich this week, Trawlers — a little light snack, a heavy main course and a very hopeful bite to finish. Followed, of course, as ever by a delicious pudding.

This episode starts with bad news for snack lovers - Penguin bars are no longer technically chocolate (cheers, climate change). Then, Jemma and Marina bite into the grim meat of it all: the racism notch in British politics. From Reform MP Sarah Pochin’s rant about “too many foreigners in adverts” to Katie Lam’s calls for “cultural coherence,” it’s open season for dog whistles. Marina and Jemma discuss how this stuff stopped being whispered and started being cheered.

Though rest assured they've also trawled away and come up with plenty of wonderful clips and takes to offset it all, because it goes without saying, millions of people do not feel the same. Which brings them onto the recent council by- election results and what happened in Caerphilly. Wonderful. Reform’s balloon well and truly popped.

Details of the charity art auction that Jemma mentioned are as follows - 

ART AUCTION FOR PALESTINE : BID FOR HOPE auction hosts @wynnesteve & @hanazidek . Join them for a instagram live at @hope_and_play_charity on : SUNDAY 30 NOVEMBER at 7pm

They will showcase the artwork, introduce the artists and give you a chance to have a closer look at the work.

There will also be a live Q&A with Emma from Hope and Play. Emma will answer questions about the work they do and provide updates from volunteers in Gaza.

The auction is online now and open for bids. Auction closes at 8pm that night (Nov 30th 2025) so you have time to get your bids in. To bid, go to the link visit  www.jumblebee/bidforhope

Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast

Youtube

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

Twitter

https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast

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

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

• Early access to The Trawl Meets…

• Glorious ad-free episodes

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

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

Come join the fun:

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

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

This week on The Trawl, Jemma and Marina wade through a global cesspit of power, propaganda and, quite literally, poo.

From Donald Trump’s unhinged AI fantasy, featuring himself as a crowned Top Gun pilot dropping actual sewage on protesters, to the real-life horror of leaked GOP group chats filled with racist bile, America is plumbing new depths. Meanwhile, back in Blighty, Tesco’s being called out, M&S thinks it’s Harrods, and the Palace is in a PR panic as Prince Andrew’s name re-enters the headlines ahead of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir.

Thank goodness for characters like Zohran Mandami who aren't afraid to hold powerful men to account for their sleazy misdemeanours and indeed crimes. 

There’s hypocrisy, hubris, and high-octane nonsense on both sides of the pond — plus your usual Underrated Clips and Tweets of the week. Grab your waders, Trawlers. It’s a murky one.

Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast

Youtube

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

Twitter

https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast

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

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

• Early access to The Trawl Meets…

• Glorious ad-free episodes

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

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

Come join the fun:

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

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

This Week on The Trawl it's winners and losers time... and Reform appear to be losing in a rather spectacular fashion. Marina and Jemma break down the implosion: Russian ties, disappearing councillors, and a Kent council Zoom meltdown that makes Jackie Weaver look like a stateswoman. Oh, and Nigel Farage’s partner? She’s now reportedly embroiled in a criminal probe over alleged EU fund fraud. Suddenly it's all looking a bit spicy...

Meanwhile, the Greens are quietly stacking up wins, the Lib Dems are snatching by-elections, and Reform’s “party of business” can’t even file VAT properly. If this is their political auditions, they're flunking hard.

Then it’s the Aston Villa vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv saga, where British politicians united to defend a fanbase banned for racist violence. The outrage machine kicked into action and Starmer ended up looking like a massive bell after the Israeli police banned their own fans - unless of course they're antisemitic too? 

Plus: Celia Imrie’s viral moment, Traitors spoilers (don’t worry, none here), and Tommy Robinson’s baffling football pivot to Tel Aviv Yellow. It’s football, farce, and fury - with a side of righteous indignation.

Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast

Youtube

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

Twitter

https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast

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

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

• Early access to The Trawl Meets…

• Glorious ad-free episodes

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

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

Come join the fun:

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

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

Jemma and Marina begin by playing tribute to the incomparable Diane Keaton, Hollywood icon and absolute legend, who sadly died on October 11th at the age of 79.

Then, the Trawl ladies dive headfirst into the political mayhem: there are some Zack Polanski clips to stir you up and news on how the Greens are seeing a surge in popularity and indeed the polls, which can only be attributed to his refreshing approach. His style of comms is best demonstrated during a moment of “Penis Chat” chaos courtesy of Piers Morgan (of course).

Marina and Jemma unpack why boldness matters so much in this political moment, how one CEO proved trickle-down economics is a con, and why Farage’s latest U-turn reeks of desperation. Plus: there's Russian connections, media silence, soybeans (yep), and a truly excellent pudding.

Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast

Youtube

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

Twitter

https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast

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

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

• Early access to The Trawl Meets…

• Glorious ad-free episodes

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

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

Come join the fun:

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

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

Trump really wanted a Nobel Peace Prize. Trump didn’t get a Nobel Peace Prize. And we’re starting this week’s Trawl with that delicious fact.

From his ego-fuelled reaction to the prize going elsewhere, to his grotesque grandstanding in Israel and Egypt, it's all in this episode. Trump is centre stage of course, having engineered a ceasefire and subsequent deal which is now to be thrashed out by various leaders, just not the Palestinian authorities.

Marina and Jemma discuss it all, the ceasefire, Netanyahu, Starmer’s attempts at diplomacy cosplay, Trump forcing world leaders into awkward praise, and the very sinister undertones behind the right’s rhetoric. There's even a Roman historian moment, and of course… PUDDING.

Pudding is a beautiful poem by Hussain Manawar. It's called Unity - Enjoy! 

Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast

Youtube

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

Twitter

https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast

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

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

• Early access to The Trawl Meets…

• Glorious ad-free episodes

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

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

Come join the fun:

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

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

Marina and Jemma were delighted to welcome the new leader of the Green Party onto the pod.

Will he consider a rebrand? Would he form a strategic alliance if it helped prevent a Reform government and how much ‘banquet balderdash’ would he tolerate from Trump if he was PM? Find out this and so much more in this latest instalment of The Trawl Meets. Enjoy!

Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast

Youtube

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

Twitter

https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast

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

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

• Early access to The Trawl Meets…

• Glorious ad-free episodes

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

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

Come join the fun:

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

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

At time of record, the world is waiting to see if a peace deal in the Middle East has been achieved. Jemma and Marina hope with every bit of them it happens but also discuss what it might, or might not mean, in reality. Then they pay tribute to some remarkable women - Jilly Cooper, and Dr. Jane Goodall - trailblazers in their own right who entertained, inspired, and made the world better. They also touch on a very Trawly online spat featuring none other than Livia Firth, serving up some chef’s kiss sass to Esther McVey.

Then they wade into the Tory conference because..... someone has to. Kemi Badenoch is channelling Doge and Musk and wants to emulate ICE, Chris Philp delivers a speech that could double as a David Brent sketch, and they can't spell.

Across the pond, Trump’s mask slips even further as Project 25 edges closer to reality. Fascism’s no longer hiding and America’s veterans and voters are reacting. But with key right-wing voices starting to break ranks and Democrats finally showing some teeth, is a turning point coming?

Finally, this week’s pudding is a moving final message from the incomparable Jane Goodall. A quiet reminder of grace, courage and hope and a stark contrast to the political nonsense the Trawl ladies have trawled through on your behalf.

Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast

Youtube

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

Twitter

https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast

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

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

• Early access to The Trawl Meets…

• Glorious ad-free episodes

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

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

Come join the fun:

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

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