The Trawl (Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss)

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.

Only in Blighty would a one-word slip-up manage to dominate the news cycle... Yes, sausages. Marina and Jemma discuss the ongoing fallout and the concern that, of all things that went on at Labour conference, this appears to be one of the few stories that is landing. 

Then it's onto a party conference of a very different kind, less political conference, more Phoenix Nights rehash - because the Reform Party Conference was all going off as well, in much the same way milk does. Then ladies hear from some breathtaking vox pops from those in attendance and mull over Lee Anderson's BBC license fee stunt. 

Then it's on to some great underrated tweets from a Trump who STILL can't get over that debate, a James OB clip of him putting caller Roger firmly in his place and some discussion over the Starmer's son's GSCE study brouhaha. 

Then, as journalists up and down the country suddenly appear to have learnt how to do journalism all at the same time and coincidentally at the same time as a Labour government, it's only right that the pod ends with a pudding from The Exploding Heads that is beautifully on point. 

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

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited by Max Carrey

Jemma and Marina are back from Wilderness Festival where, if Jemma's voice is anything to go by they might have slightly overdone it. Still, fully recovered, they're ready to Trawl and start by regaling the Twitter (X but who's ever going to call it that?) tale of Georgie Grier. Georgie took to her socials with a teary face when only one person turned up to her show at the Edinburgh Fringe. Cut to an outpouring of kindness and support until.....The Sun got involved. 

Feel-good part of the pod over, Marina and Jemma discuss the Greenpeace protest against Sunak doshing out licences to oil and gas companies and reneging on any promises he may have made to go green in order to try to combat climate change. Was it ok to target his home in the face of his negligent U turn?

And, from Greenpeace to Greenwashing. There's a new thing happening. Suddenly, Tories are changing their posters and pamphlets from blue to green and omitting the word conservative. It's almost like they're embarrassed by how toxic their blue brand has become or something. But surely they wouldn't want to mislead people? Would they? *scratches head.

Lastly, the Trawl ladies serve some Underrated Clips for your delectation before Pudding which in this episode is a brilliantly appropriate clip from The Exploding Heads. 

Enjoy!

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This episode of the Trawl features a fine mixture of people soiling themselves on telly and also being magnificent, starting with Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly doing the former while being quizzed on Tory maths by Good Morning Britain's, Kate Garraway.

Then you're in for a treat - with some pure Trawl gold courtesy of GB News presenter (if you can call him that), Martin Daubney, who demonstrates why this telly lark isn't as easy as it seems. 

Then it's onto the magnificence of Stephen Fry delivering Brexit truth bombs on the BBC, much to Laura Kuenssberg's dismay. 

Next it's EU flags at the ready as Jemma and Marina mull over the blizzard of snowflakes who were furious at the BBC's coverage of Last Night of the Proms, and discuss how democracy, for some, appears to have been a one-time event that happened in 2016. 

A quick summary of Labour highs and lows, Sir Alan's tax avoidance and some Chinese Spy underrated tweets before a delightful gammon-flavoured pudding.

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The Trawl ladies are in a romantic mood at the top of this episode. 83 year old, Nan Schiff's dating life has inspired Jemma and Marina is very much enjoying excerpts from Diane Abbott's book which details her relationship with Jeremy Corbyn. Where did they go for their first date? The cinema? For dinner? Casual trip to a graveyard? 

Then Marina and Jemma are compelled to discuss at length the horrifying Gisele Pelicot case which is currently going through the courts in France. There is a trigger warning on this part of the pod as it's a very harrowing and distressing case. 

What should happen going forward? What needs to change in order to prevent this type of depraved criminality? 

After that very serious topic, there's a bit of a gear change as the latest bit of Daily Mail outrage is looked at and it's time for under rated tweets

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited 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!

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited by Max Carrey

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!

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited by Max Carrey

Uh oh... We thought we were done with dodgy donor activity, but there are question marks over Keir Starmer's wife, Victoria being in receipt of some dresses from a very well-to-do Labour donor. Jemma and Marina discuss the terrible optics and nuance around the matter, while agreeing wholeheartedly that Tories coming out to try and claim the moral high-ground can ABSOLUTELY DO ONE.

The ladies move onto why we need a new system whereby our democracy isn't for sale to the highest bidder and discuss cases where one might need a new work wardrobe to be funded - cue Jemma's hideous dress story! And there's a clip from one MP who certainly would not accept any gifts of new apparel - no prizes for guessing who.

Then it's onto moaning millionaires, more specifically: Charlie Mullins (or Poundland Rod Stewart as he's also known) who founded Pimlico Plumbers. Poor Charlie is so devastated by Labour tax rises that haven't yet been announced, that he's taken to every media platform to complain and tell us he's leaving the UK - which begs the question: why is he still here?

The ladies chat about the argument that higher taxes for the wealthy will lead to brain drain, and discuss the actual impact this will have when experts have crunched the numbers. Newsflash: we'll be ok.

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

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited by Max Carrey

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.

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited by Max Carrey

It's over the pond we go to see what cheesy wotsit toddler, Trump has been up to... which is being found guilty on 34 counts. The ladies discuss those who leapt to his defence and the common thread that runs through them before finishing with a Trump sandwich: white bread, full of baloney, Russian dressing and a small pickle.

And while Boris Johnson is still firmly attached to Trump’s bottom, Nigel Farage has chosen to unweld himself and bin off his plans to campaign for Trump in the US - lucky for the US, not so lucky for us. Jemma and Marina discuss what his running means for the election and enjoy some snippets of Farage not doing so well in the face of scrutiny.

There's talk of Labour highs and lows, Tories posing as Labour and charm lessons from Kemi Badenoch - who manages to appear rude, arrogant and affronted, all at once, in her latest media rounds. 

Then it's on to some underrated clips and tweets, including a gem from writer, Michael Rosen, followed by a Trump-flavoured pud from Politics Joe. 

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Jemma and Marina open with tributes to the BBC's George Alagiah and singer Sinéad O'Connor who we both sadly lost this week - RIP. 

Then it's onto a story that has rightly been dominating the news this week (apart from the frog-faced old man who can’t bank with Coutts) - and that's climate change. They chat through the hot (and not so hot) takes of what's happening in Rhodes and Palermo, with expert insight from Professor Richard Betts and...Julie, who had a wonderful holiday in Crete and doesn't understand what all the fuss is about. 

The ladies discuss the insane potential row back on green policies from Labour and The Conservatives and discuss the very real possibility that the general election could see marginal seats being fought as de facto referenda on green policies - joy. Because what should one do when the world is burning? Well, you ditch your green plans and net zero targets because fewer than 500 people in Uxbridge and S.Ruislip resulted in a shock by-election Tory hold…obvs.

Then it's onto Lord Frost (or Dave as Marina refers to him) and the terrifying climate denial nonsense that is now being spouted in the House of Lords. Because that's what happens when you let someone like Boris Johnson put unelected bureaucrat bezzies into our upper chamber. Then it's a wrap - with a topical pudding from The Exploding Heads. 

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We'd bet you a £1000 you've heard about the bet between Sunak and Piers Morgan, only there's a cost of living crisis and we're not that crass. Yes, the Prime Minister of Britain actually thought it was appropriate to allow himself to be boxed in by Morgan to the point where he shook his hand on television, betting that he'd get a plane load of refugees into the air. A new low. His defence? I was taken by surprise. Marina and Jemma aren't entirely sure that's much comfort coming from the leader of the country.

Then, to make a bad week even worse, Sunak makes a 'joke' in Parliament about Starmer not knowing what a woman is, on the day the mother of murdered trans girl Brianna Ghey is in the chamber. Despite how appalling this is, no apology has been made. Instead, MP after MP fall over themselves to defend, gaslight and double down. Warning - none of it is edifying but Jemma and Marina try to make sense of it and discuss why they think Sunak gets it so wrong time and time again.

We finish off with a bit of corruption and a fantastic pudding from Munya Chawawa.

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The ladies open with Sunak getting a panto-themed roasting, which seems apt, given that sat just behind him on the front bench were Tweedledum and Tweedledee having a right-good giggle at the most inappropriate of times.

Then it's onto the least surprising news ever: Tory MP Peter Bone enters the Tories ever-expanding sexual deviant hall of fame. It appears sexual deviancy is one of the few areas where Tories really do deliver growth. Pincher, then Bone...the nominative determinism is strong, which is why Jemma and Marina descended into a fit of giggles as they trawl through some of the golden responses to this latest Tory scandal.

Then it's time for a cuppa in a cafe... with man of the people, Rishi Sunak. Brace yourself for the highlights, or perhaps lowlights, of his encounter with 'ordinary working people' when he tries, and fails, to be normal. 

And what would you expect from the party of law and order? Why of course, it's for prisons to be so full that convicted criminals go free. The ladies discuss this latest failure and the incapability of the Tories to ever apologise.

We have a quick reminder that in our totally normal country, during Covid, it wasn't our PM running the country, enjoy one of the best underated tweets of all time, and dip into a beautifully on-theme pudding by the geniuses @LarryandPaul. 

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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.

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited 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 @TheTrawlPodcast

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited by Max Carrey

Jemma and Marina open with a segment on businesses being bells... First Just Eat have a moment, then a PR company gets itself in a pickle after trying to get a bakery to work for free in return for celeb exposure. Last time they checked, exposure doesn't pay the bills.

Then the ladies shine a light on radio hosts not taking any shit - and with Tory MPs doing the media rounds, there’s a lot of it to take. Starting with Justice Minister, Robert Jenrick and the case of the missing name, followed by Tory MP Tom Hunt suggesting that the BBC manipulate their callers, which begs the question: why are there so many hunts in the Tory party?

Then it's all aboard the Bibby Stockholm - a barge that the Daily Mail would have you believe may as well be. 30p Lee had a few choice words to say about the barge and the migrants who might complain about them - words, which in normal times, would have been reserved for miserable little bigots, but now get platformed by the Govt's Deputy Chairman and indeed endorsed by No10. 

Then it's onto some delicious underrated tweets - including a moment of, unexpected, pure beauty from the BBC. And, as former Tory minister, Edwina Currie has come out trying to talk down Carol Vorderman, Jemma and Marina pull out a few underrated tweets that highlight why it's probably best that Currie sits this one out.

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Comedian and writer Jen Brister eschews X but is massive on Instagram where clips of her brilliant stand-up frequently go viral. Jemma and Marina love her so much, they've both been to seen her live so imagine their delight when they found out Jen, not only listens to The Trawl, but also can't stand the Tories. Inevitably, politics is at the forefront of their minds in this get together, but there's plenty of chat about parenthood and why it's OK to admit playgrounds are boring (for adults). 

Marina and Jemma enjoy playing clips of their Jen Brister highlights and it all makes for a very fun Trawl. 

Jen's new special: The Optimist

https://800poundgorillamedia.com/products/jen-brister-the-optimist

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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. 

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The episode opens with a visit to the US courtroom where strange noises and smells have reportedly been emitted from a somewhat sleepy Donald Trump...

Then it's onto the latest performative cruelty policy from the party of Government as they announce punitive reforms to sickness and disability benefits, because why would they sort out the collapse of our National Health Service, when they can simply scapegoat the people who need it?

Included is some context that shows we might not be quite the 'sick note culture' we're being made out to be, plus a throwback clip to when people complained that their GP appointments were given too soon!

Next, Jemma and Marina discuss a laughable headline from The Telegraph's Camilla Tominey. And from laughable news titles, to laughable Royal titles - because it appears King Charles has been busy dishing out a load more honours to his wife, bro and kids. If you thought The Order of the Thistle was bad, you ain't seen nothing yet...

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The Trawl is back! The Trawl ladies are full of energy and ready to dissect all the latest bellendery - and there’s a lot….

Footballer and presenter, Jermaine Jenas, has been inspiring limericks with his online behaviour and Andrew Tate is in Romania on charges for multiple horrific crimes.

Talking of felons, we then cross over to the States where Trump is falling apart before our eyes and in our ears. Hear the shoutiest, weirdest soundbite so far.

Marina and Jemma are so happy to be back. There are under rated tweets, laughs, a smattering of despair and a moment which requires us to imagine what Queen Elizabeth would have made of ‘the Donald’. Spoiler - Jemma and Marina are pretty convinced she’d have found him awful.

Enjoy!

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

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited by Max Carrey

Jemma and Marina open on the latest from kiss-gate featuring Spanish player, Jenni Hermoso and Spanish FA president, Luis Rubiales, and the plot twist that no one was expecting.

Then they cross over the Atlantic to discuss that mug shot...though is it the most famous in the world? Marina thinks it has contenders. The ladies discuss the hilarious fall-out from Trump's fourth arrest including the figures supplied to the Georgia courts for Trump's weight and height...fair to say, that someone is telling porkies - again. 

Then it's back to the UK again for Crime Week, in a stark realisation that our newspapers have ceased reporting the news, and now serve only as Govt propaganda pamphlets. Enjoy clips of Braverman being exposed for the bullshitter that she is, and a beautiful tweet to sums her up by none other than the artist, Simply Red. 

Pudding is then served... and it's a Dorries-flavoured number to whet the appetite ahead of our next pod where the ladies delve into her departure...and it didn't disappoint!

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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. 

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Up is down, black is white and now... Blue is red! Because this week, the Labour Party welcomed Tory MP, Natalie Elphicke with open arms, which raised more than just a few eyebrows. Jemma and Marina discuss the mafioso-style tactics from the party of Government to keep defection to a minimum and revisit moments of joy where Tories tie themselves in knots by slating someone - who was one of theirs - until about 5 minutes ago. 

Count Binface continues to prove he's the hero we never knew we needed, before the episode turns to the series that is sweeping the nation: Baby Reindeer. 

Then, has everyone got their rainbow lanyards at the ready? Be careful the Minister for Common Sense doesn't whip it off you given her latest culture war hobbyhorse. 

Pudding served up by comedian, Matt Green.

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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…

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited by Max Carrey

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. 

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

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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

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

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Marina and Jemma start with a lookback at this year's Eurovision Song Contest and discuss why it was such a political hot potato this year. The UK entrant received a lot of criticism for not boycotting the event and the Israeli singer had unprecedented levels of security. All this makes the notion that it's 'just' a song contest and 'apolitical' for the birds. There's plenty of reaction and clips. 

Due to the subject matter, it's a more serious Trawl than usual but as Israel carry out airstrikes in Eastern Rafah, after issuing orders for the evacuation of 100,000 Palestinians from part of the city, triggering an exodus of thousands of people, The Trawl ladies felt it was the right time to talk about it. 

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Jemma and Marina open with an emotional appeal...For a group of people who feel petrified, forced to flee their homes against their will. They're talking of course, about... non-doms. 

Then it's straight into the latest from Liz Truss' deluded book tour in which Jemma and Marina try to outdo each other with the worst clips of our former PM that they can find. They discuss Truss' latest bid to ditch the Supreme Court, leave the ECHR and her attempt to ditch The Equality Act - when she was equalities minister no less.

After a few more excerpts from her book, the ladies move onto satirical takes, which are harder to distinguish from reality than you'd first think. 

The final segment has a good laugh at those on the right who are dabbling with Artificial Intelligence to show us what the world should look like according to them, and it isn't pretty - nor even vaguely plausible.

Then it's a pic n mix of delicious underrated tweets and clips, with a pudding from Larry and Paul about Prince Andrew.

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Jemma and Marina invite you to The Trawl Christmas Party. It's in your ears, whenever you want to attend. Wear what you want, it's all very laid back though the chat veers from serious to light, to ridiculous and the drinks are imaginary. The slow dance isn't obligatory but does add the office party feels...

First Marina and Jemma toast the fact that 2024 will hopefully be the year we finally get a general election. A glimmer of hope on the Tory landscape. Then the Trawl ladies wonder why it's so hard to find press coverage of Prince Harry's win in court. It's almost like the press don't want to besmirch the press.

Then - we need to talk about Mone. After all, she's the one who organised an interview with Laura Kuenssberg, which went about as well as the one Prince Andrew did. Come to think of it, he didn't think he'd done anything wrong either. 

Marina and Jemma are not impressed by Mone's defence that the millions are her husband's so 'nothing to do with her, honest guv' or the facts of what went on during the pandemic when it came to doling out PPE contracts. 

The party is taking a turn for the grim, so the girls turn their attention to some of the funniest clips of 2023 and chat about their favourite Christmas movies. Though Marina might be having a rethink on one of hers.....

There's just time for some underrated tweets and some thank you's. Marina and Jemma have had a ball trawling this year and literally couldn't do it without you. Merry Christmas you filthy animals. They'll be back in January ready for a massive 2024 xx 

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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. 

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

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Jemma and Marina decide this episode is an 'eat your greens' type of ep because what's happened in Port Talbot certainly isn't funny. Around 3000 people are set to lose their jobs when the blast furnaces are closed so the tone is perhaps more serious than usual because the Trawl ladies really want to look at how it's got to this point. After all, Sunak gave Tata Steel £500 million to 'protect jobs', only it turns out he didn't get any assurances in return. Now, a community is decimated and we'll be the only country in the G20 not to be making steel. 

The majority of the media are blaming Net Zero so thank goodness for Byline TV and ex first minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones who actually utters the 'B' word and explains why Brexit has caused this. It won't come as a huge surprise to find out that the people of Port Talbot voted Leave, but then they were targeted with Facebook ads which claimed in order to protect the steel industry that was what they needed to do. 

It's a sorry mess. Thank goodness for the Nicola Sturgeon WhatsApp online brouhaha. There are also some excellent under rated tweets to lighten the mood and, in Jemma's case, lower the tone. Pudding is from the magnificent Munya Chawawa and is Traitors themed. 

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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!

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

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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!

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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.

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

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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!

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Jemma and Marina felt they couldn't start this episode without mentioning the tragic events in Southport. Three little girls have been murdered and many more children, carers and police officers have been injured. Yet, as Southport grieves and tries to process the atrocity, certain people on the far right have deemed it appropriate to incite violence based on circulated misinformation - a dark day indeed.

Then the Trawl ladies look at the £22 billion black hole left by the Tories. Jeremy Hunt is neither prepared to apologise nor take any accountability - so whose fault is it and how can Labour claw back money for spending.

Then to Paris we go for Celine, drag queens, slow boats and drizzly weather. Was it a phenomenal success? Or a washout? Either way, Starmer was prepared. No plastic cagoule for him!

Pudding is from The Marsh Family and is a nod to the next episode which will be popping Stateside once more.

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This episode is not a regular Trawl. Instead Jemma and Marina tackle some of the questions you’ve been asking the Trawl ladies over on Patreon.

Find out how they’d rate the last five Prime Ministers from bad to worse and whether they’d prefer a night on the tiles with Suella Braverman or dinner with Rees Mogg.

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This month, The Trawl Meets Green Peer, all round Wonder Woman and good egg, Jenny Jones. 

Regular Trawl listeners will have often heard Jemma and Marina singing Looooord of the Week before reading some suitably bonkers tweet from a Lord, so who better to chat all things House of Lords with someone who is a bona fide 'Good Lord' (Baroness).

Jemma and Marina are fascinated to find out what really goes on in the hallowed corridors of Parliament. Which party are the friendliest? (The answer to this may surprise you...) What does Jenny make of Lord Frost's climate denial? And can Jenny persuade Daniel Hannan to unblock Marina. Find out what happened when Jenny was arrested and how she felt when she pretty much single- handedly prevented an horrific piece of water-polluting Tory legislation. 

An inspiring chat which lifts the lid on the goings on in The House of Lords and is surprisingly affirming. 

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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

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

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Summer's over and the Trawl ladies start this pod with some inspiring chat about how to cope with the shorter days. Let's get fat and sassy everybody! 

Then they hop over to the States because there's a lot of pre Trump Harris debate to cover which frankly is Trawl gold. Though one of the revelations about Trump's washing habits is pretty stinky - oh dear, or should that be odour. 

The Donald is lashing out all over the shop, his tweets are all in CAPS and apparently Harris is an illegal alien. Okaaaa. Still, has he finally admitted that he did lose the election? 

Meanwhile, Fox are also on the brink. They've got a lot to say about the fact Tim Walz once drunk a milkshake with a straw which apparently is not masculine. Jemma and Marina wonder what is a masculine way to drink a shake. The mind boggles. 

In the pre election build up, Trump and Vance are light on policy but heavy on waffle. For instance, Vance thinks the answer to childcare being so unaffordable is to just get your family to do it.... so that's that solved. 

There's a lot of stuff to plough through, much of it toe curling, all of it Trawl worthy.

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited by Max Carrey

Football isn’t coming home - again. So where are we on Southgate? Is he a legend? Or a roaring disappointment? 

And then, where were you when you found out that someone tried to assassinate Trump? 

Marina and Jemma delve into what this shocking news might mean. Does it mean the election is in the bag for the Republican Party? 

And who is JD Vance and why is his appointment as Vice President so depressing if not surprising?

Then it’s under rated tweets. Cilla’s gone international! 

And pudding is related to the Trump news. 

Poignant.

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Jemma and Marina are so blown away by Russ Jones' 'Week In Tory' thread on Threads, they set some of it to music to open this episode. After, there's time to wish the lionesses luck, before diving in to the latest Tory calamity. You see the same government who bought you 'Stop The Boats' week, decided to bring you a sequel. This time it's 'NHS Week' and they're celebrating our National Health Service by scrapping targets for cancer patients.

There are terrible takes as ever, clips for your delectation and a wonderful pudding by The Marsh Family, dedicated to missing in action politician, Nadine Dorries 

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Sunak and Johnson have both lost their whatsapp messages - the ones which were sent when they were Prime Minster and Chancellor and in charge. It's 'such' a coincidence and makes total sense that it's magically happened to both of them. Jemma and Marina are totally convinced - honest guv. Marina's worried about Sunak's memory too. The poor sausage can't recall anything. Jemma suggest fish oils maybe? 

Still, Dorries is on hand to thoroughly discredit her love, Johnson, without even realising she's doing it. In fact, in her world she's supporting him, it's quite a talent. Lineker is blowing up X again by daring to reply to people and Mone has paid for a documentary which is entirely neutral and fair. 

In other news Joey Barton has decided women shouldn't be allowed to commentate on football. Marina and Jemma have a lot to say on this and just hope Joey is alright with that. Oh and Farage is back from the jungle having come in at 'who cares' third place. 

Pudding is quite sublime and suitably festive. Politics Joe have pulled it out the bag again. Enjoy!

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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.

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited by Max Carrey

Just when you thought the Glaswegian Wonka was the worst ever entertainment experience, along comes Nigel Farage with his 60th birthday party celebration... 

Jemma and Marina discuss the bizarre goings-on from the bash and what one is supposed to do with a Farage-shaped ice luge. 

Then it's onto the latest social calamity X post from the Govt of the second most powerful country in the world - or at least it was the most powerful country according to the Conservative's X account earlier in the week, but seemingly not by the end of the week, by which point they had deleted said post.

The Rwanda plan takes a hilarious new turn... turns out £500m doesn't just buy you no asylum seekers in Rwanda, but also no planes and no homes too. Terrific. 

Need some career advice? Well, you're in luck. Telegraph columnist and granddaughter of Telegraph grandee, Sophia Money-Coutts (yes, that is her real name) has some advice for our lazy Gen Zs on how to hustle - just like she did. 

After more hammering of our young, Jemma and Marina finish on some epic underrated tweets and an ECHR-flavoured pudding that reminds us how utterly insane it is that our unelected hedge fund manager PM is trying to drag us out of it.

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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.

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

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It's reshuffle time...

First, Steve Barclay goes from deeply sh*te Health Secretary, to deeply compromised Environment Secretary, and Victoria Atkins becomes Health Secretary in charge of managing the nation's obesity crisis while married to the CEO of British Sugar...let the lobbying begin!

The ladies run through who stays and who goes, which includes deputy chairman, Lee Anderson who stays on despite suggesting that the party of law & order should simply ignore law & order. 

Common sense is in abundance, with our new Common Sense Tzar who thought the suffragette movement included Emmeline Pankhurst winning the vote for women while lying naked with her bum out. 

And then they reach the crescendo of the reshuffle - the appointment of a literal f*ckpig, back to the scene of his crimes with a peerage to boot. Who doesn't just LOVE British democracy?

The ladies discuss the best reaction to our new Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron of Greensil who seemingly saw fit to rejoin our cabinet because he was "bored sh*tless". Lucky us.

Then it's underrated tweet time with a mic-drop moment to savor and a stroke of magic from Politics Joe to commiserate Dave's return.

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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! 

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

This month, The Trawl met someone you might not expect us to... Someone who certainly bucks the trend of people we’ve spoken with thus far, because it’s a person, who you could argue, finds themselves on the other side of the debate more often than not.

Even if you don't know of Hodges himself, you'll definitely know who he works for - The Mail, or as Jemma and Marina tend to refer to it - "one of those Tory right-wing sh*trags".

At time of record, Braverman has just been sacked following the remembrance day riot at the cenotaph, which one could argue was almost sponsored by the papers Hodges is associated with. Needless to say, the ladies quiz him on this and how someone with such a well-known, anti-Tory, Labour MP mother, could end up working where he has. 

Disagreements ensue, from the pro-Palestine and pro-ceasefire marches to who it is that really chooses our leaders: the electorate or the press barons? Jemma asks whether Dan cares about the non-dom nature of his big boss and if ever he and his colleagues turn up to work and despair at the bilge they're paid to write. 

Prepare to be shocked by Dan's verdict on the Tory VIP PPE lane, and to be not shocked at all by his thoughts on the revolving door between press and politics - after all, what would you expect from the man once referred to in The Spectator as David Cameron's "new favorite columnist?

An interesting chat, somewhat baffling and, at times, a lot like nailing jelly to a wall. 

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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. 

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

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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 that

But 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.

It's an odd opener in this episode - as it's not every day you hear news broadcasters laughing at people dying on air. But it is a clip from GB News, so perhaps not so surprising after all...

Then it's onto the education minister, Gillian Keegan showing that she doesn't actually care all that much about education, when she implied that there's no need to care so much about A-Levels because in 10 years' time they won't matter. Cheers for that, Gill. 

Then the ladies discuss the awful news that Angela Rayner is...relatable. This followed an interview where she talked openly about raving till the early hours, drinking 'venom' cocktails and enjoying fast food. Heaven forbid.

And as for Sunak... Now there's a PM who goes from bad to worse and Marina is losing her shit with him. When he's not rolling out the red carpet for Saudi Princes alleged to have murdered dissenting journalists, he's getting "confused" about how best to raid the public purse to enrich his wife further. Integrity and accountability, eat your heart out.

To end, it's the most delicious pudding yet... It's profound, perceptive - it's perfect. Enjoy!

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Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Claire Coutinho, has said that the Tory's have overshot all their targets.... without laughing....on National TV. This is such an outlandish claim, she almost deserves a medal but not as much as Chris Packham does for his outstanding performance on the Laura K show. And certainly not as much as everyone who ran the London Marathon does. Jemma and Marina enjoy some highlights and chat about what impressed and inspired them most about the annual, 26 mile, test of endurance. It won't surprise regular listeners to discover that Marina's favourite moment involved wine. 

Then, the Trawl ladies rake over what happened at 3am one night when Tory MP, Mark Menzies, put in a phone call because he needed to pay off some 'bad people.' 

Talking of bad people, Jemma and Marina are gutted that after many rounds of political ping pong, the Rwanda bill has finally been passed. A moment of national shame that ironically comes on the same week as St George's Day. But when does national pride become pure nationalism? 

Pudding is served by comedian Matilda Thorpe.

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The first Trawl under a Labour government is here! Jemma and Marina relive the high and low lights from 4th July, particularly enjoying the dynamic between Alastair Campbell and Nadine Dorries on Channel 4 and Andrew Marr's sign off to Mogg. They also say goodbye to some big Tory scalps, wonder at some of the ones remaining and discuss the results and the complex issue of PR. After all, in reality, Reform should have won a great deal more MP's than they did. 

Then there's time to hear a few words from an AI generated version on Gareth Southgate plus one of the best Under Rated Clips which stars Captain Wes Streeting who really commits to a ship analogy which gets so out of control, the ship in question could well be The Titanic. 

Enjoy!

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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. 

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited by Max Carrey

Does anyone else have a strong sense of déjà vu? Because it appears it's that time of year again: When the Tories decide to ditch their useless leader. Yep, because as Sunak continues to take his taxpayer-funded chopper on tour to tell us all that his plan that clearly isn't working is working, in other corners of the Tory party, the penny is dropping... Penny Mordaunt to be precise. 

The ladies discuss the rumour mill of letters of no confidence going in, election dates, and revisit Penny Mordaunt's brief time as Liz Truss cheerleader and defender - "I think the Right Honourable Gentleman will find, she is absolutely not hiding under a desk".

Then it's onto extremism, as Michael Gove announces Govt's new definition of this, but fails to mention that if you donate £10million to The Tory party, or indeed £15million then you can indulge in all the extremism you like and still have a massive hold on the party of Government. Christian forgiveness and all that... And Speaker of the House, Sir Lindsay Hoyle also gets a little mention for failing to see Diane Abott bobbing up and down at PMQs like a busted Jack in the Box. 

The Kate-Gate saga shows no signs of stopping, so Marina and Jemma dive straight in and touch upon some rather intriguing reporting from The Independent on a certain Marchioness of Cholmondley, plus the latest sighting of Kate (?) at her local garden centre. 

Then it's a Kate-inspired pudding to finish, from the genius Munya Chawawa.

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Jemma and Marina are delighted to speak to LBC presenter and writer, Natasha Devon, about the time she was fired by the government, why the younger generation prioritise work/life balance and why callers need to be ‘match fit’ if they want to talk about Meghan. 

Plus, Marina and Jemma spring a round of Education Secretary bingo on her. A wonderful chat with a friend of the pod. Enjoy!

Natasha's Website: natashadevon.com. 

Follow her on Instagram and Threads as @_natashadevon.

Clicks: How to Be Your Best Self Online: https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/natasha-devon/clicks-how-to-be-your-best-self-online/9781529066630

Babaushka: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/babushka-natasha-devon/7514111

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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!

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited 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!

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited by Max Carrey

The Trawl Meets is a brand new series. Each month, Jemma and Marina will meet someone they admire and find interesting.

Their first guest is Dale Vince. Jemma and Marina first became aware of Dale when he appeared on Question Time and spoke persuasively on wealth taxes and climate issues, leaving his Tory opponent looking utterly flummoxed.

When Dale’s not sticking up for what’s right by doing the media rounds, he’s certainly not twiddling his thumbs. He’s a United Nations climate change champion who has the letters OBE after his name He’s the founder of Ecotricity and also happens to be the chairman of Forest Green Rovers football club. The Sunday Times once described him as ‘Labour’s Green knight’ due to his sizeable donation to the party.

Marina and Jemma really enjoy talking to Dale about climate issues and, of course, there’s a Trawl. They play Dale lots of clips and also chat about his experience of social media, who he follows and who we can rely on for the best and worst takes.

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Events in Israel and Palestine made for a very difficult week of Trawling. Jemma and Marina open on the tragedy unfolding in the Middle East and discuss why sometimes it's best to defer to those who know better...

It's a difficult topic to segue from, as demonstrated in this episode in a clip from Sky News. There's a time and a place to announce Holly Willoughby is leaving This Morning - against a backdrop of a mourning Jerusalem ain't it.

Marina shares her experience from attending the Labour conference - prepare to be surprised with whom she ended up having dinner one evening. 

The ladies discuss their best bits from conference and what stood out - for the Mirror's Kevin Maguire, it was when Keir Starmer "jacked off" during his speech. No wonder Sir Keir was so relaxed throughout...

And while the Labour conference was receiving praise, even as far as the GB News corridors, the Tories were busy soiling themselves in desperation to detract from it, with Sunak once again getting fact-checked by X for not even being straight about his location. Prepare for some cringe-worth coverage of MPs tweeting in a desperate bid to discredit Labour...it's almost as if their jobs depend on it!

And finally.... a profound pudding that will equip you with all you need to drown out the dog-whistlers.

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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!

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

The Trawl schedule has gone off piste due to haywire Christmas diaries (normal practice will resume next week). And so it is that this week, Jemma and Marina find themselves trawling, just as news is breaking that Cleverly has announced a tranche of policy, supposedly designed to cut immigration figures. Their heads are spinning as they try to absorb the latest ill thought out Tory batshittery which means foreign carers won't be able to bring dependants with them (nice). Oh, and if you fall in love with anyone foreign, unless they earn 37K, they can't come and live with you. Okaaaaa

There do follow some reasons to be cheerful - more Tory MPs are reportedly considering leaving the sinking ship before they can be booted out. One of the names mooted is Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, but she's busy wreaking havoc before she offskies. Childcare is the latest sector under the Trawl spotlight and Marina and Jemma's conclusions are that.....things aren't not looking good. Free hours can only be free if someone pays for the labour.

A lot of people of note have sadly passed since the last ep. The Trawl ladies take a look at the people who have died in the last week and discuss whose deaths have moved then personally in the past. Jemma would never have predicted who Marina says. 

There's news from the jungle, tweets from Cop 28 and a chat about why on earth Starmer felt the need to describe Thatcher's legacy as 'meaningful.' It's caused a ruckus on the left that's for sure. 

Cilla's back for a quick blast and Larry and Paul serve a very well themed pudding.

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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 Rainbow

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited by Max Carrey

This week's pod opens with a chuffed and excited Marina, who realised that she has what it takes to be an Olympian - or more specifically, an Australian breakdancing Olympian. 

Marina and Jemma lament what X has become under Musk, who has been taking aim at the UK in his new self-appointed role of free speech hero of the people. Though, as the ladies discuss, Musk doesn't always practice what he preaches...

Liz Truss has been out-lettuced once again thanks to Led By Donkeys, and Musk is displaying all the maturity of a 10-year-old in his meme response to the EU's Digital Enforcer, who wrote an open letter reminding him that with a great platform, comes great responsibility.  

Then it's over to the US for some Trawl gold, courtesy of Donald Trump who appears bigly confused, before an underrated clip of the week that will leaving you feeling all exotic and maybe even bilingual...

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited 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

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited by Max Carrey

Poor poor Lawrence Fox - literally.

The episode opens with the unfortunate news of Laurence Fox having to pay large sums in libel damages. Couldn't happen to a nicer bloke. 

Then all aboard the private jet - that's right, Lord David Cameron's £42m private jet, which he hired for his latest jaunt as Foreign Secretary, with the bill being footed by us taxpayers. Just as well he can be questioned about this in the House of Commons...Oh. 

Next stop is Question Time, and this week was Tory MP, Chris Philp's turn to make an utter tit of himself with geography skills as impressive as Dominic Raab's.

Jemma and Marina move on to talk about the latest round of performative cruelty with the Govt's announcement around disability and sickness reforms, and seek to reassure anyone listening with some words of advice from Money Saving Expert, Martin Lewis. 

To finish on a lighter note, Jemma and Marina serve up a Victoria Sponge of an underrated tweet of the week with pudding from Larry & Paul.

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Another week of Tory psychodrama, another week of Tories making utter fools of themselves. It's hard to know where to start, so Jemma and Marina intro with a gem from Tory mayoral candidate, Susan Mason and her Essex nightclub howler.

Then it's a quick chat about THAT YouGov poll - and how it was oh so perfectly timed to collide with the Rwanda vote. And my word...what a kerfuffle. All that noise, pressure, threats, resignations - all for the bill to pass with just 11 looney rebels prepared to stand firm. Trust Tory rebels to be too incompetent to rebel.

Jemma and Marina savour the moment '30p Lee' became 'Hurty Lee' and invented a whole new word to describe the utter trauma of being...sniggled at. 

The ladies chat through the desperate lengths Sunak is going to in pursuit of his albatross Rwanda bill - including his magic trick, where from out of nowhere he is going to abracadabra up 150 judges. 

It would be rude not to include Therese Coffey's ruinous House of Commons moment regarding Rwanda, and then it's onto an observation of "Dodgy" Dave Cameron's Brexit admission on the Laura Kuenssberg show.

To finish, Jemma shares some cheeky weather reports, Marina brings up the Royals - because apparently we are a nation reeling and worrying ourselves sick over how Prince William will manage bathtime, and you're in for a treat with a perfectly on theme 30p Pudding. 

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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... 

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

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With riots kicking off and more planned for the weekend, Jemma and Marina open with a chat about those who appear more than happy to stoke the flames and the media platforms that do nothing to put out the fires. Speaking of which, Elon Musk has been having online beef with his estranged child, and when he's not doing that he's sharing deepfake videos of Kamala Harris that threaten US democracy.

And US democracy is indeed at threat, especially given Trump's tacit admission that if people vote for him now, they won't have to vote again - red flag, anyone?! After a few clips of Trump managing to come across even weirder and more dense than usual, it's onto JD Vance and that couch rumour... 

Then, brace yourself for one of the most bizarre underrated clips ever from Nick Ferrari's show on LBC. You might never look at Nutella the same way again...

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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. 

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Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited by Max Carrey

Why can’t every freeborn Briton burn his Christmas tree in his own hearth? 

Jemma and Marina ponder how this question, that is on precisely nobody's lips, was chosen by blovitaing bell Boris Johnson as the hill to die on for his £15k per column article in the Daily Mail. You've got to wonder if they're having buyer's remorse yet. 

Then brace yourselves, as it's onto our new Brexit benefit! Move aside pint of wine, because now we have shellfish in the Thames! Prawn cocktail a la Thames, anyone? Or perhaps a bit of Coquille St Craps? 

But the meat of this pod is dedicated to the utterly gut-wrenching Post Office scandal. The ladies discuss why this story has finally captured everyone's attention and how it is sadly symptomatic of a country where the rich and powerful can cheat and crush the little person.

They discuss the gross gangster-style bullying and intimidation carried out by the Post Office and talk about the person who is really at fault here... Keir Starmer - apparently! Plus they pay homage to tireless campaigners of the cause like Priti Patel, or at least she made out she was, until a Community Note on X proved otherwise. 

After a delicious dose of fury from Ian Hislop as he schooled Tory MP Jake 'not very bright' Berry, the ladies move on to Kate Middleton's winning fashion formula, which is totally accessible for all - we just need to wait for H&M to start stocking diamond-encrusted tiaras, shields and tridents. 

Then it's onto underrated tweets and clips of the week, including a particularly cheeky Farage-flavoured one and a belter of a Post Office pudding from the wonderful satirist, Rosie Holt.  

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

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It's squeaky-bum time for our Prime Miniature Rishi Sunak this week... 

Jemma and Marina open with a discussion around the many elections taking place this week that could see things go from bad to worse for Rishi Sunak. And please God, deliver us from Susan Hall becoming the new London Mayor. 

Then, what's better: Twitter or X? The ladies discuss the worst rebrand of all time before moving on to an MP who this week rebranded himself from Tory blue, to Labour red. We're talking of course, about Dr Dan Poulter who has managed to find his principles so close to a general election - incredible coincidence. 

30p Lee has been whinging again... this time about the banning of an old sitcom named Terry & June. Except it hasn't been banned at all. Not content with spouting nonsense about sitcoms, Lee moved on to spouting nonsense about Blackpool, resulting in Jemma and Marina having a good giggle about Lee's prehistoric vision of what he wants Britain to be. Spoiler: Get your headscarves and buckets out, ladies!

Then it's onto the resignation of Scotland's First Minister, Humza Yousaf, before a trigger warning discussion about Reform's Ben Habib and the shock remarks made about migrants drowning in the channel.

To end, Jemma and Marina serve up some epic underrated tweets and finish with another musical masterpiece from The Marsh Family. 

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

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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 @TheTrawlPodcast

Patreon

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Youtube

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Twitter

https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast

Created and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

Edited by Max Carrey

In this week’s trawl of Twitter, political broadcasters Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte explore the latest supreme court ruling on Scottish independence, reports of dodgy PPE deals allegedly earning one lord many millions, Katherine Ryan’s allegations about a famous man, and a sprinkling of Lords atop a second serving of Michael Spicer for this week’s puddy-pud-pud.

We’re currently aiming to post new episodes on a Wednesday evening (tech gremlins and life allowing). Part two will be along on Thursday evening.

Seen a great tweet? Twit us @TheTrawlPodcast.

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Leaving Twitter? We'll become ungovernable before we leave Twitter but you can also find our pod on Facebook, Instagram, Facebook or get our emails on Substack.

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Part 2 of this week’s pod is a little different. Seeing as we are now 22 episodes in, we thought it was high time we answered a few of your questions about everything from UK Labour’s stance of Brexit to botox.

Thank you for all your brilliant Qs. Let us know if you enjoyed this format and we might do it again in future.

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Leaving Twitter? We'll become ungovernable before we leave Twitter but you can also find our pod on Facebook, Instagram, Facebook or get our emails on Substack.

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There’s just never a dull week is there? Although trawling through Twitter is a little different these days. Since man child Elon Musk took the reins (Or Space Karen as he’s now known), our Twitter feeds throw up so many more right-whingers.

In this edition of The Trawl, Marina & Jemma stumble across clips of Kanye, hot takes on Nadhim Zahawi's odd logic about NHS nurses needing to stand up to Putin, James O'Brien on Hancock's "diaries", and Carol Vorderman has entered the chat about Baroness Michelle Mone.

Seen a great tweet? Twit us @TheTrawlPodcast.

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Leaving Twitter? We'll become ungovernable before we leave Twitter but you can also find our pod on Facebook, Instagram, Facebook or get our emails on Substack.

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In case you’re wondering how things are going in Britain after 12 years of Tory hell, here’s a snapshot: Nurses and ambulance drivers are on strike so the government have block booked taxis to take people to hospital, which isn’t ideal for obvious reasons but also means far fewer taxis will be available at a time when rail strikes mean you also can’t get a train. The country is basically grinding to a halt... Oh, and in a bid to feel truly Victorian, we’re opening a coal mine.

However, in this episode we focus on the battle of who cares most about Harry & Meghan's Netflix doc, a weird comment from James Cleverly, Starmer's remarks on Gareth Southgate, and there's a bit of cringe from Matt Hancock.

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A little Christmas edition of The Trawl, which is less a trawl of the internet and more a trawl of the trawl.

Marina & Jemma are in a reflective mood, recounting how much has happened in such a short space of time since the podcast began. There’s been scandals galore, more prime ministers than you can shake a stick at. There's also been tales of portable loos, falling cabinets, and accidentally mooning the monarchy.

As well as revealing our festive party guestlist, there are clips from our archive of shows, there are new bits from sneezy BBC presenter Shaun Lay, funny political TikTokker Aid Thompsin, some of Liz Truss's greatest hits, a nose laugh from Sophy Ridge, Steve Bray blasting a tune for Hugh Grant, a dose of Dorries, and we revisit the brilliance of Joe Lycett.

Oh, and who is the Lorrrrrrrd of the Year?!

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• Leaving Twitter? We'll become ungovernable before we leave Twitter but you can also find our pod on Facebook, Instagram, or get our emails on Substack.

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Political commentators Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte took one week off for festive merriment and now catch up on a coupla weeks of tweets about toxic misogynist Andrew Tate vs environmentalist Greta Thunberg, alongside a serving of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaking to the homeless, Trump's troubled festive message, the strange case of US politician George Santos, and there's also Jemma's "interesting" way of pronouncing spud-u-like.

Given the subject matter of what Andrew Tate has said and the allegations about him, please consider this a trigger warning.

Here's the video for this episode's pudding (a little funny treat we pop on the end of each episode) if you want to see it with visuals.

Further Reading: Inside the violent, misogynistic world of TikTok’s new star, Andrew Tate (The Observer)

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“What are we meant to do with 180 people in a department built for 50?” - a rhetorical question from an NHS staff member.

Whilst the UK’s Health Secretary tweets about the couch to 5k app and PM Rishi Sunak discusses the need for more maths, the NHS is in crisis. How is anyone going to run when they have to wait for years for a hip replacement?

Is it democide? According to Wikipedia "Democide is the murder of any person or people by their government, including genocide, politicide, and mass murder…" and Collins Dictionary's definition is "the killing of members of a country's civilian population as a result of its government's policy, including by direct action, indifference, and neglect."

Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte discuss all of this plus Lord of the Week, Mick Lynch, and more in this special edition of The Trawl.

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In this week's episode of the podcast that trawls social media so you don't have to, you'll meet Politico Bob who is a member of the electorate who picked up 40k+ new followers this week after Nadine Dorries MP sent him a rather spicy reply. There's also the climate emergency being eclipsed by Prince Harry and some rather shocking revelations about how much MPs earn from their second jobs (and often it seems as if being an MP is in fact their side hustle...).

Plus a vintage slice of Boris Johnson being shouted at and a double helping of Jeremy Vine and Tony Blackburn flavoured pudding to finish.

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This episode ends, like all editions of The Trawl, with a bit of fun. In 029 it's the return of amazing satirist Rosie Holt, who is best known for her Tory MP alter ego, which tweeters often mistake for a real Tory MP such is the bonfire Britain we live in. This slice of pudding features a "handy" tip for how to navigate the cost-of-living crisis… and that sort of sums up the tone of this edition of Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte's trawl through Twitter, in which multi-millionaire Sunak won't admit to having private health care (reportedly he does), whilst celebs like Simon Pegg and Carol Vorderman are speaking up about the 'permacrisis' we're living through. Also in this episode Richard Madeley does another Richard Madeley, an update on the NHS negotiations with the govt... and all the while, quietly in the background, the Lords are leaping to attend votes to ensure some things remain unlawful rather than illegal.

As ever, if you've seen a great tweet, tag us @thetrawlpodcast.

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In this week's trawl through political happenings in the Twittersphere, Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte rummage in a tombola of Tories, to discover what they've been up to. They find a former chancellor wrestling with HMRC, 30p Lee's latest saga, Suella Braverman reacting to a holocaust survivor and a confession about the RMT strikes.

Plus there's a saucy little extract from Prince Harry's book and a youngster speaks up in our underrated tweet of the week.

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In this trawl through Twitter, Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte dive deep into the so-called bonfire of EU regulations, Rishi Sunak evades questions when being grilled in Scotland, and there's some laughs at Hunt's latest promo video.

Our Lord of the Week makes some odd comments about Eastenders and this edition's pudding comes from Ian Hislop.

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In this trawl through Twitter, Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte delve into the batshittery of our Govt fining universities if they train too many GPs (during a healthcare crisis, no less), wade through the endless Govt corruption, corruption, corruption and finish with a pudding that highlights just how pathetic the need for an investigation into clear-as-day wrong-doing actually is...

And, to switch things up, our Lord of the Week on this very rare occasion, is a Good Lord!

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Jemma and Marina discuss the latest Sam Smith video which is causing a lot of pearl clutching in certain circles. But is it any more outrageous than thousands of other videos that have gone before? This leads into the bizarre fact that not one woman has been nominated for Best Artist at this year's Brits. Oops. 

Then - Zahawi's been sacked as Chairman of the Conservative party. Yes! But he's still an MP. Oh. 

Any small win is cancelled out by the heinous behaviour displayed by Jonathan Gullis in Parliament. Marina and Jemma reveal what his reaction was to hearing that 200 migrant children have gone missing whilst under the supposed care of The Home Office. 

To lighten the mood again, there's an Under Rated Tweet of The Week, a Lord of the Week and a Pudding - always a pudding. 

Seen a great tweet? Tweet us @TheTrawlPodcast

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This trawl is one of the weirdest. Jemma and Marina are wondering why so many of our national newspapers have taken a turn for the deeply weird. From reporters wearing masks in bathtubs, ridiculous headlines about Kate Middleton's latest venture to war mongering in the Express, it's all gone a bit bananas. 

And that's before you discover that Nadine Dorries has been given her own TV show. 

Join Jemma and Marina to try and make sense of all of this with the help of some brilliant tweets. 

Buckle up, it's a surreal one. 

Seen a great tweet? Tweet us @TheTrawlPodcast

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This week Jemma and Marina discuss Dorries’ new career as a broadcaster. Paxman and Maitlis probably aren’t losing any sleep…….

The Trawl pledges solidarity to teachers and looks at what Twitter makes of Truss’ ‘defence’ and Lee Anderson’s promotion. As ever they’re spoilt for choice with Twitter gold and clips galore. Pudding is served by James O Brien

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In this Brexit special, Jemma and Marina unpack where the country finds itself three years on from leaving the EU. There's a look down memory lane with an interesting take on David Cameron, the man who started it all, and even a Brexit benefit or two...

The episode takes us to present day, where arch-Brexiters are partaking in the ultimate blame game as to why Brexit isn't working and Jemma shares how she feels when she hears Labour tell us time and time again, how they'll "make Brexit work"...

Seen a great tweet? Tweet us @TheTrawlPodcast

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In this episode Marina and Jemma discuss Starmer’s decision not to allow Corbyn to stand as a Labour MP and Sturgeon’s sudden resignation. 

Then, from Brexit wars to culture wars….

Marina thinks 30p Lee Anderson’s appointment as Party Chair, could be proper “get the popcorn in” fodder as he’s already stated that Sunak’s not a vote winner. And, it’s official, Sunak’s strategy to deliberately fuel division is exposed.

But this approach has consequences. Jemma and Marina talk about the tragic and senseless killing of Brianna Ghey, the sixteen-year-old transgender girl who was stabbed to death by two fifteen-year-olds, in broad daylight, in a park in Warrington last week and the shocking riots in Knowsley.

It's all kicking off in The Trawl in this one.

But there is pudding. There’s always pudding. 

Please share if you enjoy The Trawl and tweet us @jemmaforte and @MarinaPurkiss

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In this episode, Marina and Jemma step into their TARDIS and head back to the 1050s' given that's where some right-wing newspapers have regressed to with their coverage of the tragic cases of Nicola Bulley and Emma Pattison.

They explore a shocking revelation of the partiality of what should be an impartial BBC Question Time and share the witty tale of Mike Graham - the shock jock who showed us all, that if you behave like a sexist pig, then you best be prepared to get barbecued.

Please share if you enjoy The Trawl and tweet us @jemmaforte and @MarinaPurkiss

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This trawl begins with headlines about two different people's living arrangements - One is The Andrew Formerly Known As Prince, the other is Johnson, who's definitely on maneuvers. 

There's an amazing clip of a caller on Talk Radio. Hannah is utterly sick of migrants coming here and living in hotels so wants to emigrate. Marina and Jemma are fascinated by this logic plus her list of potential locations are interesting too. Hannah is also convinced that everything would get worse if Labour got in.

The Northern Ireland Protocol is back in the news. (Cue one lone party popper). The politics are all very 'deja vu' and the Tory party is like a nest of vipers.

Then there's some tomato chat. Jemma and Marina ponder the veg shortages and wonder, is it really just weather that's the issue, or is the 'B' word striking again? 

Russel Kane's got something to say about Roald Dahl's sensitivity readers, and pudding is by Larry and Paul.

We would love you to share and spread The Trawl word and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte

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Therese (lots of accents) Coffey has out Marie Antoinette’d Marie Antoinette herself. Instead of cake, our Secretary of State for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs, hath proclaimed we can eat…..turnips. Egg and turnip sandwich anyone? In PMQ’s Coffey is stuck for words, but Jemma and Marina aren’t. They’ve got tonnes to say, as per…..

Meanwhile, Sunak is celebrating! He’s absolutely buzzing because he might have pulled off fixing the botch job he once voted for. Perfectly normal country. Trouble is he’s so pleased, he’s reminded everyone that having access to the single market aswell as the UK is optimal. Yeah, cheers for that. 

We would love you to share and spread The Trawl word and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte

Enjoy!

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At the time of recording, Jemma and Marina had just learnt about the 'lockdown files' and their explosive contents. Before they get to that, they pay tribute to Betty Boothroyd who has gone to the big Parliament in the sky. 

Then, it feels only fair to warn you, this trawl is Isabel Oakeshott heavy, but then she's been doing the media rounds and trending on twitter so perhaps it's not surprising. And her journalistic integrity is being scrutinised almost as much as the thousands of confidential WhatsApp's she sold to The Telegraph. 

In other news, Brexit is one of the topics on Ridge on Sunday, and Jacqui Smith actually tells Oakeshott to shut up. Deserved? Or overstepping the mark? 

Meanwhile, James O Brien isn't impressed by Laura Kuessenberg. When an MP states that Johnson is a liar, her response is 'that's quite a charge.' Marina and Jemma discuss other opportunities when this phrase might apply. 

It's another spicy trawl that's for sure. If you enjoy, please tell your friends and spread the word.

Tweet us at @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte Or find Jemma on Instagram @jemmaforte

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Marina and Jemma start with a clip that hugely inspires them both. Across the pond, Jon Stewart, shows how to hold someone to account in an interview.

Then, Isabel Oakeshott and Cathy Newman have a tete- a -tete (or tete-a- tit) in an exchange with a very different vibe before our hosts dive into the increasingly appalling and enlightening Lockdown Files.

Meanwhile, over at GB News, a lawyer is furious with someone for doing exactly as he asked them to do and then, the woman who was once on everyone's lips, is back. Sue Gray is making headlines once again. Jemma and Marina explore what her new appointment could be about. 

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

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After a quick ode to anyone with bosoms of any type whatsoever (International Women's Day), Jemma and Marina dive into the government's latest immigration 'plan' to stop the boats. It's controversial, sinister, cruel, probably illegal and no doubt unworkable so there's a lot to unpack.

Phil calls into LBC to tell Shelagh Fogarty people should stay in their own country even if they die as a result, the policy is holier than a slice of Emmental and Suella Braverman says 'billions' of people want to come here. Marina and Jemma try to stay calm while wading through the Twitter carnage. 

Johnson wanting to give his dad a knighthood has to get a mention as does hero of the hour, Gary Lineker. 

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Tweet us at @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte Or find Jemma on Instagram @jemmaforte

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This week, Jemma and Marina, cordially invite you to The Troscars (that's the Trawl Oscars). Hugh Grant wins one for 'most whatevs performance on a red carpet' and there are many more virtual, meaningless awards to be bestowed throughout the ep. 

The 'Stop The Boats' saga rumbles on, with the policy only ever seeming more cruel the more you scrutinise it. 'Gary-gate' reached extraordinary proportions, culminating in the entire BBC Sports department not working in a heart-warming show of solidarity. Unfortunately, GB News were there to step into the breach with their version of the show. It was, as you might expect, terrible but pure gold for The Trawl. 

Tories pretended to love football and seemed unable to fathom that the ratings had anything to do with rubbernecking

What a time to be alive.

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Tweet us at @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte Or find Jemma on Instagram @jemmaforte

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It's not often that Marina and Jemma are truly shocked anymore, but gold medal to Kelvin Mckenzie for managing to articulate views so abhorrent they even jar on GB News. 

Given they're happy to platform hate speech, it seems strange that Jeremy Hunt has agreed to talk about the budget on the very same channel. Though perhaps the fact he's going to be interviewed by two Tory MPs was the clincher. Rules? What rules? Morals? What morals?

Jemma and Marina look at the budget, what's been announced (leaked at time of record) and try to tally the headlines with the actual policies. 

A childcare win. Or is it? Pension wins? Or are they? 

There are clips and tweets as ever and pudding is lovely and sweet because you'll need a palate cleanser after this one. 

Enjoy!

Find us on Twitter @jemmaforte @MarinaPurkiss @TheTrawlPodcast and Jemma is on insta @jemmaforte

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This episode kicks off with a clip from a podcast which couldn't be more different from The Trawl. Apparently, according to the hosts, women need to be validated by their husbands. You can imagine what Marina and Jemma make of that notion.

And then we're off to Rwanda, only we might have to sneak in as left wing representatives aren't invited. Suella is off, inspecting facilities which could see her 'dream' a reality. But while she's having a whale of a time, everyone else is wondering what's so funny about sending refugees away against their will to a far flung land they haven't chosen. 

'That' picture set Twitter alight with condemnation. 

As for nurses, they've been offered a paltry 5%, wait for it, from existing NHS budgets. 

Jemma and Marina discuss street parties and more and end with pudding from The Exploding Heads. Chris from Plymouth has called in once again and it couldn't be more apt for this ep.

Enjoy!

Find us on Twitter @jemmaforte @MarinaPurkiss @TheTrawlPodcast and Jemma is on insta @jemmaforte

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