The Trawl

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

Melvin Odoom has pledged his love to Carol Vorderman from the Australian rainforest so Jemma and Marina leap at the chance to kick off the episode with something sweet. The sweet quickly turns sour though when the Trawl ladies check in to see who Trump has appointed Education Secretary. Hold onto your hats, he might just have excelled himself. Then, it's time for Marina and Jemma to pay tribute to the late, great, John Prescott and the clip they've chosen for you provokes a lot of thought from Jemma. In fact she woke up thinking about why the clip resonated so much. Then, have you ever embellished the truth on your CV? This is what Rachel Reeves has been accused of doing by the opposition, only it's hard to find evidence she wasn't an economist at The Bank of England which is what they're suggesting. In fact, at The Trawl. Marina and Jemma have found a statement from someone who worked with her there, was in meetings with her and can confirm she definitely was. Could it be a brouhaha about very little? Is it Angela Rayner's council tax all over again? One thing's for sure, Rayner certainly isn't at all flustered in the clips from PMQ's Meanwhile, people are leaving X in their thousands as it increasingly becomes a boring cesspit. It's Bluesky who are benefiting and Marina and Jemma are certainly enjoying the cleaner air and better spelling. Their handles there are @jemmaforte.bsky.social and @ .marina-purkiss.bsky.socialYou can also follow The Trawl @thetrawl.bsky.socialThank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

It's the two hundredth Trawl! Jemma and Marina can hardly believe it and both recommend a couple of vintage eps to celebrate, as does editor Max. Then, it's over to the States to see what health recommendations RFK Jr. is making. Hopefully they'll be less effective than the ones he made in Samoa where there was a huge outbreak of measles and subsequent deaths as a result of his vaccine scaremongering. Then, along with hundreds of tractors, irate farmers and a smattering of Brexity types, to Westminster we go where the farming community have descended to protest against having to pay inheritance again, at a discounted rate. There is some sympathy for some farmers but, as far as Marina and Jemma are concerned, Jeremy Clarkson, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Farage can do one. They all either own acres and acres of tax dodging or caused the farming community endless pain and hassle due to Brexit. The irony is strong. The Trawl ladies are very grateful to Vic Derbyshire for her incredible interview with farm poster boy, Clarkson. It really revealed so much.....none of it flattering. They're also left wondering how excited ex Tory MP, Neil Parish, must be. All those tractors! Fwarrrr. As ever there are under rated tweets and a puddingMarina's vintage Ep choice:Ep 134: Order of the Thistle and Other Mad PlotsJemma's vintage Ep choice:Ep 031: Drinking Hunt's Coffee Beside The Brexit Bonfire of EU LawsMax's vintage Ep choice Ep 104: Pincher pinching, now Peter Bone...Patreonhttps://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 not even been two weeks since the US election and already some in the US will be feeling that buyers' remorse, with even Trump himself receiving a little shock from Russia (not with love) to remind him exactly who's in charge.Jemma and Marina digest some of Trump's latest Government appointments, which are as wild as they are dangerous, with one tweeter saying "it's like Donald Trump appointing the Grinch as Director of the Department of Christmas". Then it's back to Blighty and an absolute howler from GB News in their coverage of the two minute silence for Remembrance Sunday before discussing Jeremy Clarkson's new role as the farmers' hero. Funny how when a celeb like Clarkson gets involved in politics, it's all good - and yet when it's someone like Gary Lineker, he should stick to football. Which takes us to the news of Gary's departure from Match of the Day and a clip that thankfully never got aired, otherwise he might have left sooner...Finally, Jemma and Marina discuss the media and political gaslighting over the events in Amsterdam and clashes with Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, before some Royal-related underrated tweets and a pudding from Billy Eilish that sent Marina's spine tingling. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

In this episode of The Trawl Meets, Jemma and Marina meet someone best known for her incredibly convincing parody videos of a desperately loyal Tory MP shamelessly defending the latest Government scandal... The one and only, Rosie Holt.Jemma and Marina talk to the award-winning satirist about her journey into comedy and the twist of fate that saw her become an overnight sensation. There's talk and clips of her alter ego, Harriet Langley-Swindon, who bears an uncanny likeness to a certain Julia Hartley-Brewer and discuss how her comedy has changed now it's Tories out and Labour in.Then comes the second half of the episode, where Rosie Holt MP makes an appearance and is quizzed about the real reasons for her crossing the floor from Conservative to Labour, whether she still backs Brexit and how she can look her constituents in the eye. Needless to say, Jemma and Marina were not impressed.You can catch Rosie over on Instagram at @rosieisaholt and grab a copy of her new book from Rosie Holt MP named: Why we were right here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Were-Right-Rosie-Holt/dp/1529924553Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

It was always going to be a long episode, because let's face facts... You can't cover the dawn of a new fascism in half an hour.Jemma and Marina get straight into it - and there's absolutely no shying away from the fact that not only did Trump win, but he won 'bigly'. The Trawl ladies share their experience of the election night, and how a party which started out hopeful and jubilant ended up being anything but. There's a period of reflection on how so many could get the result so wrong and an incredible clip from Jon Stewart that highlights how maybe we know nothing at all. They also share the raw emotion they felt, how they coped with the news and how they try to make sense of the world around them. There are some moments of lightness where the dominance of US politics on the rest of the world is discussed - like why the hell should we care about Maricopa County (?) and a musical interlude that reflects exactly how so many of us will be feeling. Cautiously, Jemma and Marina look ahead to what may be coming down the tracks as the first convicted felon becomes president and what this means for all those who will be directly and indirectly affected - whether they knew it or not. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Prior to this episode, Jemma had mainly associated the word 'Duchy' with Musical Youth, the band from the 80's who used to pass it on the left hand side. Since delving into the C4 Dispatches 'The King, The Prince and Their Secret Millions' she's had to catch up pretty quickly. Marina feels a mixture of vindicated and furious and neither of the Trawl ladies can get their heads around charging high rents to charities you're patrons of, owning sea-beds and being an advocate for the climate issues when your own properties aren't insulated properly. There's a lot to discuss. After hearing a vintage clip of Robert Smith, lead singer of The Cure, Marina's a huge fan..Larry and Paul serve up a wonderful pudding. Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Recorded pre US election, this episode begins with tributes to two greats who died this week. Music producer, Quincy Jones and comedian, Janey Godley, who famously detested Trump. There is a wonderful clip made by BBC Scotland News which encapsulates her beautifully. Quincy Jones is 'pudding' and we learn what the greatest advice he ever heard was. The main focus of this episode is the latest anointing of a new Tory leader. Kemi Badenoch has beaten Robert Jenrick and is the first black woman in the role. Jemma and Marina are interested to find out what a Nigerian politics show are making of it. Meanwhile, Badenoch isn't exactly covering herself with glory on the Laura Kuenssberg show. Partygate? Overblown. Really?As for her cabinet, the words 'barrel' and 'scraping' spring to mind. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

It's Halloween week and the prospect of Trump getting in is certainly spooking Jemma and Marina. The floods in Spain are pretty damn terrifying too, as is the news from other parts of the world, including of course, the situation in the Middle East. However, the Trawl ladies are not ones for sticking their hands in the sand or their fingers in their ears though are still able to laugh about a few things, including what Jemma is reminded of every time she hears the words 'carbon capture.' Of course there is plenty of budget chat, which might not get everyone going but certainly enthralls Beth Rigby. So much so that there ends up following some quite bizarre political entendres. Then, find out what Marina and Jemma make of the main talking points of Rachel Reeves' first budget and of course hear some interesting tweets. Though perhaps avoid Liz Truss' riveting analysis if you can, although Jacob Rees Mogg was delighted to have the economy wrecking former PM on his show to rake it all over and to pontificate. Cool. This episode contains some excellent under rated tweets, a Trump themed pudding and the type of political analysis you're incredibly unlikely to hear anywhere else. Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

It's tough consuming the news at the moment, which is why positive news stories should be celebrated - like Tommy Robinson being sentenced to 18 months in prison. Wahey!But all is not so joyous over in The US, in fact, it's pretty terrifying following Trump's latest rally in Madison Square Garden which included a speech so grotesque, that it convinced Ricky Martin and JLo to publicly endorse the opposition, and could cost the Trump campaign dearly. Jemma and Marina discuss what it is that billionaires like Musk are searching for and how others, specifically Bezos, are choosing to protect their own vested interests as opposed to doing what is right. Still on the US, Marina shares an anecdote from a discussion with her brother-in-law that got her triggered and then it's onto a clip from pro-Trump agitator Tucker Carlson that will likely trigger you all - apologies in advance. With too much US drama dominating the episode, Jemma goes rogue with some off-piste underrated tweets to make you smile topped off with pudding from The Marsh Family: their very own US-election inspired song named, Bohemiam Trumpsody. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

It's not everyday that the King gets heckled, but when he and Camilla turned up to Parliament House in Canberra, that's precisely what happened - with the twist being that the heckler was elected to their position, but the hecklee was not!Then it's onto the tragic news of One Direction star, Liam Payne's passing. Jemma and Marina discuss the impact of so much fame so young and share personal stories of where they've witnessed fame not being all it's cracked up to be. Then it's onto someone who wasn't handling the tragic news as sensitively, and that's Ben Leo from GB News. And you know it was bad when his co-host Nana Akua managed to interject and appear to hold the moral high ground.Next up is the update on ever tinier Little England with a right-leaning (and despairingly even left-leaning) media who seem intent on making mountains out of molehills, all while the Tory leadership race between Badenoch and Jenrick limps on - and then there's that weird AF tweet from Sky' Kay Burley about David Cameron. Pass the vom bag. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Johnson has been busy promoting his latest tome so the Trawl ladies thought they’d give you an update on how it’s doing. Then, Jemma and Marina are astounded by the flagrant voter manipulation which is occurring in the States. There’s a clip you’ll hardly believe. Brexit certainly wasn’t the only moment where ‘Dividing and Conquering’ was the MO. People are also divided when it comes to seeing Trump donning an apron to work in Macdonalds. On a personal note, Jemma is feeling sad about a tree. Is the pointless destroying of a healthy tree symbolic of what the world is going through? Or is she just going round the bend? Marina is on the fence. Unlike the tree because it’s been cut down. As ever there are some fabulous under rated tweets. Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Jemma and Marina are thrilled to learn that comedian and writer, Rosie Jones has been a Trawler from the beginning! They discuss who her comedy heroes are, how she started in the business and why she’s finally left Twitter. With 150K followers on Instagram, Rosie has legions of fans who adore her outspoken, warm brand of humour but that doesn’t stop the trolls abusing her and attacking her for being disabled. Rosie opens up about how that feels, how she’s trying her best to represent 24% of the population and what she’s doing to encourage greater representation. A clip from the Jimmy Kimmel show of ‘celebrities read mean tweets’ reminds Rosie, Marina and Jemma that no one is safe when it comes to having a large platform!A great chat, peppered with lots of clips and a superb pudding from one of Rosie’s heroes - the incredible Victoria Wood.Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

If you’re trying to sell yourself as a progressive, forward looking potential leader of a political party, perhaps don’t take a leaf out of Robert Jenrick’s book by celebrating Thatcher’s birthday with a countdown to the cutting of a cake….Then Jemma and Marina discuss the latest Trump rally which he billed as Coachella but was more like the infamous Fyre festival due to the fact that the coaches were only booked one way. Cue MAGA chaos. There are underrated tweets and some slightly delirious chat about salad dressing. Enjoy!Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

This is not your regular Trawl. Jemma and Marina have been consumed by the horrors unfolding in Gaza, and felt compelled to talk it through. They discuss that horrifying flame-engulfed image that emerged after a hospital tent in Gaza was bombed by Israel - an image that may well become the defining image for this indelible stain in the story of humanity. His name was Shaban Ahmed Al-Dalu, and like the thousands and thousands of other innocent men, women and children caught up in this barbaric conflict, he deserved to live. Marina and Jemma discuss the failure of humanity to put a stop to this, the absence of grief from our news channels and politicians and the press coverage we're seeing that exposes the differing values placed on some lives versus others. They discuss the Labour leadership stance - or rather, their deafening lack of one, the reason so many are too afraid to speak out and why we must never forget the needless lives lost in the pursuit of revenge that will only breed more hatred and violence. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Scrapping the Winter Fuel Allowance has been understandably controversial but, if Conservative HQ were trying to make people feel sad about it, they failed. If anything, by featuring people in their large houses, using coffee machines and wearing Rolexes, they gave people food for thought. As you can imagine, the tweets are great....Over in the States, Elon Musk has been attending Trump rallies and admitting to Tucker Carlson that if he doesn't win in November, he's screwed. An advert for Harris if ever there was one!Enjoy!Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

The episode begins with some heart wrenching clips. Firstly we hear a weather report from a presenter who is audibly horrified by what he's having to tell people and then from a lady who is beyond angry that Ron DeSantis is choosing to politicise the disaster and appeals to her fellow Floridians.Then, the reviews are in! Unleashed by Boris Johnson is being flogged on every platform he can get on (which is all of them sadly) but, despite him repeating the book title ad infinitum, all Marina and Jemma are interested in is his disgusting confession that he had no idea about Brexit. I mean, we all knew it, but good to hear it out loud, even if he doesn't care and isn't sorry. The rest of the episode focuses on two issues the likes of The Mail and The Telegraph have been telling people to be livid about for days - Sue Gray and the Chagos Islands. Jemma and Marina discuss how it points to a deeper problem - the power of the Right Wing media and why arguably Leveson 2 is so desperately needed. The history behind the Chagos Islands certainly isn't being written about. Neither is the fact that the same outcome would have been required no matter who was in power. But don't worry, The Trawl ladies have plenty of tweets which put you in the picture. They finish with Under Rated Tweets of the week and pudding by Larry and Paul and Broken News. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Twitter (X) was on fire when Laura Kuenssberg announced that her exclusive interview with Johnson had had to be cancelled due to the fact she'd sent him her notes. Oops. How could this have happened? Jemma and Marina have their theories and some of the tweets are glorious. Less glorious is ex Tory MP Jonathan Gullis' realisation that the teaching profession might not be willing to welcome him back with open arms after calling them Bolsheviks and commies and so on. Can't think why...Then, The Trawl goes Stateside where P Diddy has been arrested and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. The allegations are truly shocking but not as shocking as it is for an Irish person to have to discuss what P Diddy might have done or be doing, as you'll hear in one of the clips. As for Trump, his latest ramblings barely make sense. How long can such incoherent gibberish be ignored for by even the most ardent of Republicans? Michael Spicer serves up pudding with The Room Next Door - A Donald Trump Factcheck Special Enjoy!Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

This Trawl begins with a tribute to the late, great Dame Maggie Smith. Then, Marina and Jemma discuss two prominent political figures who have decided their parties aren't for them after all. Labour's Rosie Duffield has become an independent (which raises questions in itself) and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has left the conservative party, which means she can be more forthright than before which she certainly is about Jenrick. Then it's off to Tory Party Conference where the mood is surprisingly buoyant given their recent thumping. The party members are all falling over themselves to proclaim which of the MPs running to be leader has got their vote. Despite saying maternity pay is 'excessive' Kemi Badenoch is getting the thumbs up from a lot of them and from many ministers too. Though does it count if it's from David Davis? Jemma and Marina are startled by quite a few of the things Kemi has said but not quite as startled as they were to hear about where Robert Jenrick got £75,000 from as a donation. Truss has made an appearance to tell everyone (again) that she's simply misunderstood, that her ideas were all marvellous and that she should have been left in power to further wreck the economy. While Jacob Rees Mogg is on hand to tell us all why we shouldn't be saying 'Chair' instead of Chairman......plus, something about wolves, I think. Hard to tell. There are underrated tweets of course, some of which involve Russell Brand baptising people in his under grundies. Pudding is Will Sebag Montefiore Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey