The Trawl

The Tory bellendery is strong in this ep...  First, we have the audacity of a Govt known for 'losing' its WhatsApps announcing its new Govt WhatsApp, followed by a series of car crash interviews that are almost painful to listen to - a pile-up if you like.  Staring with... Culture Secretary, Lucy Frazer, the little girl who cried bias. Or was it perception of bias? Or evidence of bias? Same Same.  Jemma and Marina explore the possibility that the BBC may be bias, but arrive at a conclusion that is just a tad different to Lucy's.  Next up for interviews they'd rather forget was Tory MP, Huw Merriman who has a perception that the BBC is bias because The News Quiz mocked Tory MPs and the Government - which ironically gives us even more reason to mock Tory MPs and the Government.  And finally, it's guaranteed-to-go viral, Susan Hall, the Tory Mayoral candidate who does Sadiq Khan's campaigning for him. In another Nick Ferrari interview on LBC she is exposed for not knowing the stuff she is supposed to know about now, and then not really knowing the stuff that she supposedly once knew about - splendid stuff.  The ladies touch upon that moment when Sunak laughed in the face of a woman asking him about the NHS and reminded us that he has less charisma and likeability that Mark Francois on a Tory rebellion day.  Then it's into underrated tweets, followed by a pudding so powerful that it couldn't be left out.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHeJRdniLDY1H90x_MMPQ_A Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHeJRdniLDY1H90x_MMPQ_A Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the first Trawl of 2024 and the ladies are back with a bang - or indeed, a massive bell! Jemma and Marina lament taking quite so long to record the first new year's Trawl. They expected the Tories to be less chaotic over the festive period and into the new year, but alas, they got that as wrong as a Patrick Minford economy prediction. There were many uncool yule moments, and many festive bells, but in this episode Jemma and Marina explore the lowlights of a man with more community notes than your local civic centre: Rishi Sunak. And the little weasel has been busy... First Rishi did Home Alone, then Rishi did Southampton FC, then Rishi did the oldest youth centre known to man - but what Rishi didn't do, was the truth.  Sunak's 2023 lookback was interesting... In that it was a lookback on a 2023 that will have been familiar to absolutely no one, but worry not, as you'll be sure to find comedian Tilly Thorpe's version is far more on point.  The ladies discuss the latest in global Britain, including Sunak opening the year with a tweet announcing the end of global Britain. Because stopping a Chinese student from bringing their mother to the UK is now delivering for the British people... Then it's onto the biggest bells of all - Gongs! Jemma and Marina lament a country where Sir Wetherspoon is now a thing and breakers of electoral law don't get banned from parliament, but instead embedded within it. They also wonder what cup size one must reach before their political opinions become irrelevant - this might be one for Lord Bailey of Paddington to answer.  Underrated tweets include a fox hunting gem, all polished off with a tuneful treat from The Marsh Family regarding those peerages, with a sing named:   “Does Truss not feel ashamed?” Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Five seconds after Jemma and Marina finished recording the last Trawl, typically, British politics took a new turn for the mad. Cleverly has declared that unless you earn £37.5K you can't settle here with a foreigner. Having crushed millions of people's hopes and dreams and stuck a big Tory finger up to romance, there's hardly time to scream 'But what about Shirley Valentine?' before moving on to the next psychodrama. Oh yes, it's Rwanda shitshow time. The Tories are fighting like rats in a sack, determined to get the 'Rwanda Safety Bill' through and to hell with the law. None of it has been edifying but Mark Francois strutting about talking about his 'star chamber' and 'spartans' and the 'five families' is particularly astounding and generates a lot of great tweets. George Monbiot put in a brilliantly impressive turn on Question Time so Marina and Jemma make sure you hear a bit of that. Then it's time to pay tribute to poet Benjamin Zephaniah who sadly died.  It's fitting that this episode finishes with a poem for pudding. This one is written by Michael Forte (Jemma's dad) and the Trawl ladies think it's got Trawl written all over it.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The episode opens with a trip to the Plymouth Christmas lights switch-on, where Torty MP, Johnny Mercer is met with a different type of Christmas cheer.  Then it's report time... Because last week the OBR published its economic and fiscal outlook for 2024, and it's a grimmer read than one of Nadine's dirty novels - though in the OBR report, a significantly higher number of people are getting screwed.  Jemma and Marina discuss the numerous newspaper headlines celebrating Hunt's tax cuts, which is problematic, given we're now facing the biggest tax burden since WWII. But hey, why let the truth get in the way of a client journalist's headline? Then settle in for a gripping, action-packed, true crime story, featuring Tory Mayoral candidate Susan Mason. Less Die Hard, more Lie Hard. Underrated clips of the week include Elon Musk wiping another few billion off the X share price during a public soiling of himself, and a little treat from Cilla Black - God Rest Her Soul. Pudding is served up by Moog with his version of Susan Mason's terrifying run-in with the criminal underworld of London. Sadiq Khan has a lot to answer for... Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When all about you are losing their marbles... Greece is trying to claim theirs back. And it's computer says no from Rishi Sunak who has decided to start a diplomatic war with Greece because he doesn't want to give them back their marbles - which is exactly the response you'd expect from our populist PM, and incidentally, also a spoilt toddler.  Then it's onto our new Home Secretary, James Cleverly, who, despite the House of Commons being laden with cameras and microphones, decided to direct profanities at the entire constituency of Stockton, and then despite recorded evidence of exactly this, tell us he didn't.  More records are smashed for Sunak - just in the wrong direction to what he promised with this week's revelation of unprecedented migration figures. And Richard Tice takes to X to chat about climate change in a clip that gives Cillit Bang's, Barry Scott a run for his money.  Underrated tweet is a naughty little jab at GB News from Aid Thompsin and for pudding, comedian James Acaster gives his take on the Elgin marbles debacle.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to the Covid Enquiry we go to hear what Vallance and Whitty had to endure during the pandemic. Spoiler alert - incompetence, idiocy and disrespect mainly. We also find out they were burdened with a PM who didn't understand the science and thought if people died it was 'OK' if they'd had a 'good innings.' Lovely. But first, Jemma and Marina are thrilled that The Exploding Heads' catchphrase 'Love to the family Colin' is catching on. Hear an extraordinary caller who was so aerated about immigrants he was positively yelling at Tom Swarbrick on LBC. Then Jemma also encountered yet another 'Colin' on Jeremy Vine. 'Love to the family....love to the family' was the only worthy response. Funny how it's always 'foreigners' these 'types' get so worked up about.  Which brings us to Rwanda- ie the most unworkable, costly, morally dubious idea ever to have been deemed unlawful multiple times. The latest ruling by the Supreme Court is in and when Sunak binned Braverman he had the perfect opportunity to bin the policy off with her. But no, Dr Death (as he's being referred to on X due to his ill advised Eat Out to Help Out policy) is standing by it, doubling down and trying to change the law in order to change fact.   On a lighter note, Cliff Richard, went on This Morning and told the world that he didn't get photographed with Elvis because he'd put on weight. At times like this Twitter can be fun.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The I'm a Celeb ratings have plunged since last year. Two million fewer people are watched the launch compared to last year, despite what the GBeebies gang are saying. Then again, they did get hold of the wrong data. In reality, it looks like, booking a 'fash for cash' isn't the ratings hit ITV hoped it would be. The Trawl ladies discuss whether or not there's a difference between someone's values and someone's opinions or, whether it's OK, necessary even, to conflate the two in order to get the measure of someone.   Meanwhile, over in Argentina, far-right, self-proclaimed madman, Javier Milei, has been voted into power. Chainsaw wielding, anti abortion, gun-loving Milei wants to legalise the sale of human organs, abolish the central bank and privatise everything. What could possibly go wrong? With inflation rampantly high and 40% of Argentinians living in poverty, Marina and Jemma discuss the links between desperate times and populism. It isn't the first time a leader with unkempt hair has struck a chord with a disillusioned electorate after all.  Then of course, there's the usual array of Tory bellendery (new word) to mull over. The run up to the budget has seen Hunt mooting slashing inheritance tax whilst making cuts to the benefits of the long term sick. Bit rich from the man who 'bulk bought' six flats and managed to evade paying stamp duty on them thanks to a terribly convenient loophole. Alright for some eh?  With underrated tweets and pudding as normal.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get on your knees... It's Tory MP remembrance Sunday photo-op time! And boy, did they all get the memo - because nothing says heartfelt moment of solemnity like a staged pic for the socials. Jemma and Marina discuss the events of Saturday when a brainless crew of Suella's biggest fans descended onto the streets of London to defend...the realm.  Did The Mail take any responsibility for their whipping up of hate? Did they f*ck. Instead, their post-event coverage centered on a "jostled" Michael Gove who just happened to find himself amid a Palestine protest group.  The ladies discuss the fun day out had by the far-right 'patriots' - because nothing says respecting our war dead like a punch-up at the Cenotaph. Then...ding-dong the witch is dead. Braverman gets the boot and becomes the proud author of one of the bitchiest resignation letters of all time with more than a few self-owns.  The ladies then have some jungle chat - both incredulous that a figure as damaging as divisive as Farage was deemed a fantastic new protagonist for a family TV show. And we wonder why the country is in the state it's in... Then it's onto some underrated tweets, with a splash of sass, including a gem from Joe Lycett, before an impeccably on-brand pudding from Munya Chawawa. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's back to school and detention for you! Jemma and Marina open on the latest batshittery from Britain's strictest headteacher who chose the most bizarre hill of all to die on: the latest Marks & Spencer Christmas advert.  And thank goodness she did, because your reactions were a joy, which coincidentally is what headteacher Kathrin Birbilsingh appears to be in short supply of.  Then it's onto the main event: the man who is currently f*cking up Twitter sat down with the man who is currently f*cking up the UK. Sunak interviewed Musk - or rather, Sunak belly-rubbed Musk, in an attempt to secure himself a new job at Musk Towers once the British people boot him out of office. It was a joy to behold. Things get very profound and thought-provoking with some words from philosopher, Noam Chomsky, before the ladies turn to the Brexit latest. Spoiler: it's grim.  And if you thought Gordon Ramsey was lacking in self-awareness, then brace yourself for Osborne and Balls as they regale you with a heartwarming tale that saw the Queen's favorite bagpipe schools saved from brutal austerity cuts, but f*ck everyone else who didn't happen to have a queen advocating for them.  Dorries and the disgraced daughter of Captain Tom Moore are the subject of the underrated tweets, before a superb pudding of Colin from Portsmouth - served up by the super talented Exploding Heads.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hear ye! Hear ye! Brace yourselves because it's that time of year again...  When an unelected man puts a crown of jewels worth more than Kent on his head and reads out a list of Government bills that will do absolutely nothing to tackle the cost of living crisis. Makes one proud to be British. Jemma and Marina discuss one of the most verbose but substance-free monarch's speeches for decades, before discussing Marina's new al-fresco living lifestyle choice.  In post-truth Brexit Britain, it now appears living homeless in a tent is a lifestyle choice, but living with your folks rent-free while you cream £25k off the taxpayer is just impressively shrewd and totally within the parliamentary rules. Obvs.  And while the state of events is dire, your responses to it are not - and the ladies delight in reading out some epic tweets in response to the latest installment of the Cruella horror show. Then it's onto protests - which are now called hate marches thanks to our Home Secretary's desperate need to whip up hate and sow division. Not to mention her shocking undermining of the met police - which comes at an interesting time considering last week our Govt wanted to label anyone undermining our institutions as an extremist. Projection much? The Covid inquiry takes a new turn and gets the ladies talking about times they've had to adapt to male-dominated environments - with Marina once working in a marketing team that the CEO affectionately labeled 'the crayon girls'. Then they wrap up with some choice underrated tweets before finishing with a Covid-themed pudding from Mathilda Thorpe.    Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apparently, Sunak is thinking of making Clare Coutinho Chancellor, so he can thwart Rachel Reeves' ambitions of becoming the first female Chancellor.   Meanwhile, Rachel Reeves has written a book about economics which claims that women aren't credited enough for their ideas. So it's a terrible shame she's been caught out with not crediting people's ideas. The FT have discovered twenty examples of pretty blatant plagiarism in her book. Ouch.  She's getting some flak but perhaps not as much flak as Steve Coogan is getting for a remark he made on a podcast. He accused Royal fans of being 'flag waving Idiots'. Over at GB News they're very angry.  Someone who was a big fan of Coogan's work as Alan Partridge was Matthew Perry who sadly died this week. Jemma and Marina pay tribute and recall what Friends meant to them. There's an Under Rated Clip of The Week and, as ever, The Trawl would not be The Trawl without pudding. This time it's from Larry and Paul.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jemma and Marina are only too aware of how bleak the news is currently. Marina didn't sleep prior to discussing the situation in the Middle East on LBC so they begin the episode with a very powerful clip on the topic. They are also aware, however, that The Trawl provides levity during such unsettling times and so it is that the rest of the episode is purposefully diverting. There is a look at Nadine Dorries' lack of digital/tech know-how, which may or may not surprise you coming from the woman who thought tennis was played on pitches. Still, Marina and Jemma think she might be pleased about GB News' new signing. They've signed her crush, the man who she'll defend to the hilt no matter what, Johnson. And X (Twitter) has delivered. Lots of people have suggested titles for shows he could present - Would I Lie To You is just one example. Talking of lying, this episode features an incredibly powerful call from a nurse to Sajid Javid on LBC. A moment of talking truth to power that you shouldn't miss which Javid counters with some 'questionable facts.' Then, to the Covid Enquiry we go and what is already a slightly sweary episode turns completely blue but it's not Jemma and Marina's fault. Unfortunately, you can't report the govt comms without landing some pretty fruity language. The ladies do warn anyone who might be listening with children around! Pudding is served by comedian Matt Green Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jemma and Marina pay tribute to the late, great, Sir Bobby Charlton, and the celebration of a life well-lived is in stark contrast to what is happening in the Middle East.  Then, it's been a year since Sunak came to power. At first the Trawl ladies are struggling to find the best words to describe how he ended up in the top job but they decide eventually that Johnson started a relay race of corruption, a tag team of terrible, if you like.  He promised integrity, professionalism and accountability but this episode demonstrates he's failed on all counts. Meanwhile, at the BBC, MP's are telling them how to cover migration and anything to do with small boats. Not worrying at all......Ditto the Department of Education keeping notes on teachers who post anything negative about policy on their social media accounts. Totally normal.  Thank goodness for some light hearted under rated tweets of the week and a fabulous pudding.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Spirits are high in The Trawl camp post the Tory trouncing's in the Tamworth and Mid Bed by-elections. Jemma and Marina are the first to admit that The Trawl podcast isn't exactly hot off the press, on this, or your go to for the news 'as it's happening', due to being a team of........them, plus Max, their editor. But the time lapse also does mean they have all the best reactions and fallout. But first they have to mention the extreme weather that parts of the UK has been experiencing. Imagine your home has been flooded, your possessions are ruined and then, to add insult to injury, Therese Coffey turns up. The clip of her being quizzed by MP's will leave you in no doubt, she's making it up as she goes along.  Then to Tamworth and Mid Beds we go, and indeed to television studios across the land to hear various Tories pretending their massive defeat was actually fine and not an indicator of anything really. As for Andrew Cooper's defeat, it couldn't have happened to a lovelier guy who handily posted a flow chart which spoke volumes. Lastly, Marina and Jemma are both amused and astounded by Gordon Ramsay's incredible lack of awareness on another pod. His story involves a Porsche and needing to ask his wealthy in laws for a massive loan. The heart bleeds! Lots of laughs in this one. Enjoy Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jemma has had a set two with a Tory MP but before they get into that, Marina and Jemma talk about what's been another harrowing week in the Middle East. It's such a sensitive topic and some broadcasters and politicians are acquitting themselves better than others. What's inarguable is that the world has never needed good leadership more.  On a far more optimistic note, in Poland the 'youthquake' have ensured the end of the far right populist government. Donald Tusk has won the election thanks to proportional representation. Marina and Jemma are struck by how many young voted and wonder what can be done over here to create the same sort of engagement.  Sadly, over in Australia, democracy has had a bleaker result as the recent referendum saw Australians voting against allowing the indigenous population a say.  There's an underrated TikTok of the week and pudding is served by Larry and Paul Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In their new series, The Trawl Meets, Jemma and Marina meet someone they find interesting and admire and 'trawl' topics they're passionate about.  This month, their guest is Gary Lineker and Jemma and Marina see it as the perfect opportunity to ask him about 'that' tweet and Gary more than delivers. Find out how it felt to be at the centre of that huge social media storm, the one that ended up being discussed in Parliament. The ladies also want to know if Gary ever heard the GB News version of MOTD that went out when he was off air? He hadn't, but he has now and Marina and Jemma very much enjoy his reaction to the clip. The ladies also quiz him on who his dream dinner guests would be, who he'd have for PM, what his tweeting 'rules' are and whether or not he'd kiss a Tory. In other words, this is the chance to ask Gary the questions he wouldn't normally be asked. And they do..... they really do. Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jemma and Marina open the doors on the Tory conference and dive straight in, wearing full PPE, to the conference that had it all: lies, conspiracy theories and even a Prime Minister reported to the police for potential contempt of court. 'Inadvertent' contempt of court, obvs... It was all happening in Manchester, except ironically, the HS2 to Manchester.  Then the ladies mull over the party's sharp shift to the right, pausing to discuss a few of the most car-crash moments from Sunak to Susan - yes, Susan Hall, the Tory candidate for London Mayor who suggested that the Jewish community is frightened of Sadiq Khan, despite her playful response to a rainbow swastika posted on Twitter by a certain ex-GB News presenter. Could it be time to make lying in politics illegal? Jemma and Marina discuss this and the willingness of the Conservatives to trade in fear (of non-existent threats) to win votes. Then it's onto the real threat - Suella Braverman, whose victims now include guide dogs and the eviction of the most softly-spoken heckler of all time - from the party of free speech, no less.  Before the dessert cart of puddings served up in this week's bumper episode, perhaps grab a drink - and join the ladies for a new drinking game inspired by Penny Mordaunt's speech - all you need to do is take a sip every time you hear the word 'fight'...and prepare to get sozzled. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marina's back from holiday and the Trawl ladies barely know where to begin. They start with a quick GB News debrief - a roll call of presenters who've been suspended or sacked, and then it's straight into political nitty gritty.  Apparently we're a nation of drivers and Labour (who haven't been in power for 13 years) have waged a war on motorists? Jemma and Marina hadn't noticed this war and are also partial to using public transport - when it's running - so it's a mystifying statement, as is Sunak's claim that inflation is tax.  At least the Tories have got 'spades in the ground' everywhere. It's their new planned soundbite and they're really getting their money's worth. They're all saying it only no one, including Marina and Jemma, knows what it means. Plus, if there are spades in the ground, it's a huge shame they're not digging to finish HS2. Instead, Sunak's scrapping it, despite his mandate to 'level up.' It's a slap in the face for so many Northern cities who had hoped to have better connectivity and the costly destruction of wildlife and land that's happened for no good reason is mind boggling.  Still, if you're going to shaft the good people of Manchester, where better to do it than.....Manchester?  Pudding is matchy matchy because it's train themed. Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been a particularly ludicrous week in Tory Britain. And that's saying something. Jemma and Marina plough through what feels like some sort of political fever dream. Starmer has announced he wants to renegotiate the Brexit deal, only we're pretty sure no one's told the EU and, unless we re-join the single market, is there any point just tinkering round the edges? Watch out everyone, Truss is on manoeuvres again. It's been a year since she absolutely devasted the British economy so she's returned to tell us all that she was right and what other things she'd love to do to damage it further.  Meanwhile, Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, has been extolling the virtues of children being educated in portacabins. Kids love it apparently, so that's alright then. Then, to round off a truly inept week, Sunak held a press conference to tell the British public that lots of things that were never going to happen are not going to happen. So in case you've been lying awake worrying about having seven bins, worry no more.  Finally, Marina and Jemma have been watching the Laura Kuenssburg show State of Chaos. They give their verdict and tell you the fantastic guest they've got for the next Trawl Meets...... Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This Trawl focuses entirely on the recent allegations against Russell Brand. Jemma and Marina deliberately don't go into any of the detail outlined in The Times piece or C4 Dispatches as obviously the subject matter could be fairly triggering for some listeners. Instead, they take a look at the varying reactions to the allegations and discuss why they might be so polarised. It seems that everybody had something to say on the matter and some of the discourse has been exhausting, frankly. For Jemma it stirs up memories of what it was like being a young woman back in the noughties during the era of Loaded, Nuts magazine and High Street Honey's and so on, and Marina reflects on why she had to 'tap out' of one particular chat about it all. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This Trawl is a trawl in it's simplest form - a meander through clips and tweets that have caught Marina and Jemma's attention. First up, Johnny Mercer has posted a picture of his child which led to a lot of Twitter (or X) questions surrounding privacy, permission and safety. The mere mention of the Mercer's leads nicely into a chat about the fierce Carol Vorderman magazine cover in The Times last week. The Mercers aren't exactly fans so Jemma and Marina hope they got a copy. Ditto Greg Hands who seems far more bothered about what Carol's tweeting than the consequences of his email introduction from Mark Higton to the VIP PPE lane, which resulted in Luxe Lifestyle being awarded a £25 million PPE contract. Twenty million pounds worth of what they produced wasn't usable but apparently anyone asking questions...shouldn't. Or, at least,that's what Sunak thinks because he has declared the whole subject shut.  Ah well, perhaps if we go to The Proms and waggle a flag we'll feel better. But which flag? Union Jack or EU? There were plenty of both on display at The Proms but certain types were livid with the BBC for showing the EU ones. Even though no one's sure how they could have avoided it. The word disgrace has been a bandied about a lot however. Though Jemma is more concerned about the lyrics of Rule Britannia but hey, each to their own.  And as for that Harry, he's also a disgrace (according to the same sorts). His crime? He went to pay respects to his grandmother, the late Queen, wearing a shirt. Marina and Jemma aren't entirely sure why anyone has a problem with that.  Pudding is beautiful and reflects the pomp featured in this episode. It's Alan Partridge in all his Coronation commentator glory. Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's back to school week, or at least it is if you don't go to one of the 104 schools which have been deemed unsafe due to crumbling concrete. If you were in a position of power and had been warned for years that school buildings weren't safe, what would you do?  Jemma and Marina are hot and bothered, in the week when Britain went all Club Tropicana weather wise - only the drinks aren't free, nothing is and the price of a Tory government is getting more exorbitant by the minute.  They discuss Gillian Keegan's disastrous week and wonder why more people aren't calling out the £34 MILLION refurb she deemed necessary for her offices. Yes, that's right. THIRTY FOUR MILLION. An old Trawl catchphrase is used once again - regular listeners will know which one.  Meanwhile, Lee Anderson has been striding round a shopping centre being rude to people and Colin from Portsmouth has been on the blower again. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marina opens with an idea... one inspired by the Tory Government last week. Though the ladies can't see it flying outside of Westminster - just like most of the shenanigans they get up to, which would never be acceptable in the real world.  Then it's good news! Well sort of good news, well, maybe not quite... after Ofgem lowered the energy price cap. Though as always with this Govt and its client journalists, there's always more than meets the eye, so don't go spending your projected energy bill savings any time soon.  Then finally - the lingering member for mid-Bedfordshire lingers no longer! And what an exit... The ladies discuss that resignation letter and its next-level delusion - not to mention the book plug: a national first! You can trust Nadine to provide some laughs, even on her way out as she celebrates her 'new' role.  Then it's onto a real mixed bag of underrated tweets of the week - and prepare to get one old-school jingle stuck in your head.  The episode closes with a Broken News report from satirists, Larry and Paul. Though these days, satire and reality become evermore difficult to distinguish... Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jemma and Marina open with a tribute to Parky, plus a few of his best bits, including one clip that showed he may have shared some Trawl values. Then it's onto some of the reaction to the Lionesses reaching the World Cup Final - brace yourself for the clip of Andrew, who called into LBC to offer some opinions that made Jemma think that perhaps Andrew has never had a girlfriend - or indeed friends.  Perhaps we should be grateful to Andrew for being direct and honest about his thoughts on Women's football, compared with say Prince William or our PM, who were otherwise engaged on this momentous occasion - though clearly not momentous enough for the president of the FA to clear a space in his diary... A quick Trawl through more World Cup fallout, before a major key change as the girls discuss the horrifying story of Lucy Letby and debates that have arisen as a result around the NHS, race and whether a law to force criminals to attend their sentencing is quite as sensible as first seemed.  The ladies close with some confessions - not their own - but some absolute dynamite ones from random Twitter users, finished with a Parky-flavoured pud. A jam-packed episode where the ladies "left nothing out there". Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's August so the news is slow and the papers and the debate shows are scraping barrels for topics. And yet, Marina and Jemma are confident they've still found enough content for two Trawls this week. This one begins with a few bad 'politician turned journo' takes, including one from Boris Johnson who insists on labelling Britain as 'Brexit Britain' which doesn't feel like a moniker to boast about frankly. Especially given that this week, even The Telegraph have reported that according to polls, a second referendum would be popular. It appears 'Bregret' is more than just a hashtag. And then it's onto Small Boats Week which has been a disaster from beginning to end. Some migrants were moved onto the Bibby Stockholm barge, only to be moved back off again when it was reported that Legionella had been found onboard. But Sunak still has faith in Braverman.....apparently.  It's a pretty dismal tale of utter incompetence. One conservative councillor compared the govt handling of the entire episode to Fawlty Towers. Marina and Jemma discuss, and despair. Pudding is appropriately themed. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jemma and Marina have noticed that Carol Vorderman is getting under the skin of all the right people. In fact, the more Carol holds the government to account, the more the right-wing press sharpen their pencils. The more Carol spits facts, the more vitriol she’s exposed to on social media. In this trawl Marina and Jemma ponder why and read out some tweets which wholly champion her efforts. It’s called balance – quite the shocker in this pod. Then, to The Daily Mail we go, because they’ve published their ‘Woke List’ – yes, that’s honestly a thing, and it’s quite the hall of fame of people who are largely decent and great. Jemma and Marina wonder what the opposite sort of list would look like and are pretty sure it would include Sunak. Sunak has been scampering around the country in jets and choppers determinedly wrecking things and when challenged, is completely belligerent about his travel habits. There are some joyous underrated tweets as per and pudding. Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The ladies open with a brief, but apt, reaction to the continuous wall-to-wall coverage of Farage and his bank account woes, and touch upon the high-calibre nature of some recent GB News bookings.  Then it's a trip down memory lane to Cop 26 - when the UK hosted and championed a global summit committed to achieving net zero. Fast-forward to three Prime Ministers and one Uxbridge and S.Ruislip by-election later, and things have changed somewhat... The ladies discuss the decision by Rishi Sunak to give the go-ahead to hundreds of new oil and gas licenses in the North Sea. This is apparently all to do with energy security and nothing to do with Sunak's family business ties... But worry not about the rapid heating up of our only planet, because as Dave Frost says: we can adapt. Climate change herd immunity, anyone?  Then it's onto the latest golden nuggets from Tory MP, 30p Lee, who shows us what happens when the right tries to be funny, and also what happens when Lee fails to sense-check his tweets before hitting send.  Finished off with a delightful clip from the satirist, Matilda Thorpe and she too shares a sobering tale of when her child returned home from one of those BLOODY WOKE universities... Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The episode opens with Marina reminding Jemma how she once hoped that Sunak taking over might have resulted in the adults being back in the room. Update: they're not.  Because this week Sunak put out a tweet that proved he's just as base as 30p Lee...just wears a more expensive suit.  Then, let the Barbie chat commence - and what a weekend it was for cinema with two huge summer releases. Joyful. Though not, it turns out, if you're in possession of a very fragile male ego. Jemma and Marina chat through some of the reactions to the movie - including a very frustrated Piers Morgan. Bless. And, we need to talk about Dan... Dan Wootton of GB News, because let's face it - not many people are. The ladies discuss the relative media blackout compared with the scandal surrounding Philip Schofield and Huw Edwards. Plus, you'll enjoy a little mass-hypocrisy-exposing montage from GB News, before moving on to Charlotte Owen - or rather - Lady Charlotte Owen, our new Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge. Owen is the 29-year-old recipient of Johnson's peerage for services to God knows what...such is the nature of our wonderful British democracy. And it's all topped off with a Brexitey pudding from comedian Omid Djalii.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jemma and Marina open with a toast to the 10th anniversary of the Same Sex Marriage Act - the way Cameron and Sunak have been tweeting about it would make you think the Conservatives are to praise for it - spoiler: they're not.  Then it's on to the trade deal of the century - the £12 trillion trade boost to the UK via the CPTPP! What joy...the ladies ponder what the Conservatives will spend it all on..except it's not £12 trillion, and it's already been spent. Winning.  Next they discuss the Govt of fiscal responsibility's latest purchase which delivers incredible value for money for the tax payer - quite literally: incredible.  Then it's onto the thread that had Jemma and Marina in stitches (ironically), because whatever you do, don't take medical advice from Boris Johnson's ex, Petronella Wyatt... Finished off with a pudding from @Exploding_Heads, and poor Colin from Portsmouth is furious with the by-election results. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jemma and Marina discuss the devastating Conservative by-election results - or as GB News optimisically put it:  Rishi Sunak AVOIDS horror triple by-election wipe out. Ok hun...  Johnny Mercer continues his run of revealing himself to be a massive bell by aluding to the 25 year-old Keir Mather who took the Selby seat as an "inbetweener" - apparently he's too young for people to relate to him, to know what it's like with a job and kids. Not like our super relatable man-of-the-people, married to a billionaire's daughter PM, Rishi Sunak... And then it's on to the stench surrunding GB News. Then a pudding that perfectly encapsulated why whether you like it or not, even if you think you don’t do politics, actually…you do.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marina and Jemma are trying to make sense of the BBC presenter scandal, the timing of it, the execution of it, the point of it. They wonder if it might be distracting from more important news, like global warming, the mortgage crisis or Johnson refusing to give up his phone. But, it's trending so they trawl and then there's also the Osborne wedding to discuss. It was all happening for the happy couple, what with THAT email dropping and then THAT orange confetti being thrown. What on earth is going on? Jemma and Marina have been burning the midnight oil so it's all a bit bewildering, although on the issue of the mural that Jenrick had painted over in the refugee processing centre, they're completely clear. Vile.  Light relief is provided by Lee Anderson's GB News Show. Which isn't supposed to be funny. But is.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s been an interesting week for the Mercers. Tory MP, Johnny Mercer, said repeatedly that if veterans were using food banks it was about ‘choices’. Lovely.  Meanwhile, Johnny’s wife, Felicity, wrote a pretty vicious piece in The Telegraph about Carol Vorderman. Jemma and Marina discuss the inevitable Twitter storm that followed.  Sunak has been busy. He’s had questions to answer although the one Marina and Jemma would like to ask him is ‘why do you hate young people so much?’  The NHS is 75 years old. Pudding is a tribute to it.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marina's back from her holidays. Back to a broken freezer and a load of rotten food, which feels like a great metaphor for the state of the Tory party. To cheer her up, Jemma gives her a few welcome home treats.  There's the audience reaction to the Rwanda plan, the very definition of tumbleweed, a particularly poignant question for Helen Whatley to answer, and some excerpts from Lee Anderson's show on GB News.  Plus why was Nigel Farage locked out of his bank account and will he leave Britain because of it? Marina and Jemma have got everything crossed before a chat about Threads v Twitter and a glorious pudding from a new account.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's all kicking off in this episode of The Trawl. Twitter polls are not getting the results pollsters want with hilarious consequences. An MP is using his platform to lay into people in a manner that feels neither fitting nor appropriate. And Johnson's column in The Mail is stoking hatred. Marina and Jemma discuss the submarine tragedy and why it's led to Johnson accusing anyone who was fearful of it, as a leftie. There's a spat, a tantrum and all out class war.  Michael Spicer delivers the knock-out punch with an excellent pudding that hits the mark.  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re off to the seaside! But don’t get too excited - it’s for the ‘Leavers only’ edition of Question Time which will leave you bathed in bewilderment as opposed to sunshine. And then to IKEA we go where Robot Rishi is telling everyone it’ll all be ok. Coooolll. In fact, apparently, we all need to just ‘hold our nerve’ because that’ll pay the bills. Marina and Jemma discuss festivals and the highlights from Glastonbury 2023. Only GB News don’t approve and somehow manage to compare it to the migrant situation. Astounding really. Pudding is a beauty. What’s known as a spine - tingler. Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this bumper episode, Jemma and Marina open with a tribute to Labour firebrand MP and actress, Glenda Jackson...and a stunned Jemma couldn't quite believe who her son is.  Then it's jingle and mingle time, as the ladies discuss THAT christmas party footage. Prawn ring, anyone?  There's a quick Hancock pit-stop given his odd rambings on Tik Tok before moving onto the vote. Yes, the vote with a 354 to 7 landlside which perhaps indicates that Johnson isn't quite as popuar as his industrial-sized ego would have him believe.  Spare a thought though for Dorries - who could maybe benefit from an intervention - and enjoy a megamix of her best/worst bits. The ladies congratulate Johnson on his brand new job: writing guff for the daily mail before crowning their repeat offender, Loooord of the Weeeeeek. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jemma and Marina are glad to be at their mics after what has been an explosive week in British politics. Crispin Odey has been investigated by the FT and is facing multiple allegations of sexual assault - he's the man who shorted the pound after Brexit and laughed about it. He isn't laughing now. Boris Johnson's honours list is causing problems left, right and centre due to the fact he included three sitting MPs on it. Marina and Jemma tour through the list which reads like an episode of Friends 'The one who.....'  Meanwhile, it's fair to say Nadine Dorries hasn't taken the news that she's' not going to be getting a peerage very well. She's touring the studios bemoaning her fate and blaming the fact she's working class and from Liverpool. Nothing to do with Johnson messing up, Honest guv. It doesn't look like many of her fellow Scousers are feeling much sympathy for her though.  There's an incredible pudding from Politics Joe which really is the icing on the cake. Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a telly-tastic Trawl because Twitter has been agog, not only at all the This Morning drama, but also the serialisation of Eamonn Holmes' revenge on GB News. Nadine Dorries has been putting her two pence worth in as well. And as for Kim Woodburn, sometimes less is more? Then Marina and Jemma have to address the 'B' word because Starmer is being all final and absolute about 'Making Brexit Work' even though it doesn't, can't and won't.  There's a legend of the week in this episode. It's Jenny Jones the Green Peer who is singled out for being incredible in Parliament. Sadly, the same cannot be said for Mike Graham who makes a bit of a clanger in the most extraordinary clip. There are tweets galore, clips and a pudding from The Exploding Heads. Enjoy! Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GB News have hired a new presenter. It's political heavyweight, Peter Andre. No one saw that coming but Marina and Jemma are enjoying people's reactions on Twitter. More predictable is the chaos surrounding Johnson and the Covid Inquiry. Johnson says he's handed over everything, but hasn't, and Sunak seems reluctant to co operate. It's almost like they don't want us to know how they handled things and, at time of record, it looks like the government are going to be suing themselves.... You can't make this stuff up. Then, Jemma and Marina take a look at some of the scandal that Carol Vorderman has been unearthing about PPE contracts and discuss who Labour have taken a large donation from and who the Tories have landed £5 million from.  Pudding is from Matilda Thorpe. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode opens up with the news of yet more impending fruit from the loins of Boris Johnson - the PM credited with withdrawing from the EU, but seemingly incapable of withdrawing elsewhere. Jemma and Marina ponder how this news has gone down with his father, Stanley Johnson given his somewhat controversial views on population control. Then it's on to talking shit...literally. Because while the world and their dog can see what's happened to our once beautiful waterways, our Secretary of State appears in denial, and not just about our water - like Manuel from Fawlty Towers: she knows nothing. Jemma and Marina touch upon the latest Brexit benefits, which include more corporate socialism (it's the only type the Tories like) where taxpayers are footing the bill for basically begging for foreign investment because that's how unattractive we've become. What's not to like? Then the ladies wrap up with a clip of Richard Madeley desperately seeking his Aha moment in an interview with Gary Lineker...and failing abysmally, before finishing up with a pudding from Mr North Nofolk himself, Alan Partridge. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jemma and Marina begin by paying tribute to the legend, Tina Turner, who sadly died this week.  Then they have to touch on the drama that's been playing out, on, and around, the This Morning sofa. From Holly Willoughby's statement, to the first show post resignation, Twitter has been alight with opinion about what might, or might not, be going on in the world of daytime telly.  And Braverman's in the headlines for all the wrong reasons - again. This time, a speeding offence has come to light and it looks like it might be her 'Al Capone' moment. Or will it? Marina and Jemma think Sunak might be stuck between a rock and a hard place.....  Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The National Conservatives are in town and it's a pretty sinister guest list. David Starkey has been making bizarre and worrying statements, an author downplays WW2 and a headmistress does some shouting. But the Home Secretary is there too, and Gove and Lee Anderson and Mogg..... Marina and Jemma try to make sense of it before moving on to what's been trending on twitter for days - Phil and Holly. So, not exactly from the sublime to the ridiculous.... but.....two other words. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The world's gone mad. Lord Cruddas is 'threatening' us with the obliteration of the Tory party if Labour bring in Proportional Representation. Jemma and Marina love the sound of that, yet Starmer won't commit (even though he said he would in 2019). Nick Ferrari is making sewage sense and Jacob Rees Mogg finally tells the truth. He admitted, publicly, that introducing voter ID was gerrymandering, which is pretty jaw dropping and taught Jemma a new word.  Plus, because Marina and Jemma trawl through Twitter, they feel obliged to include their own Twitter bell-end moment. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Turns out that yes, the UK is a basket case, but you can rest assured that in our times of trouble and strife, across the pond, the US tends to always find a way of saying: hold my beer. Because this week, former US President, Donald Trump was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation. But sadly the stench made its way over here with sitting MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, a devout Christian no less, appearing on GB News to leap to Trump's defence. Jemma and Marina ponder the absurdity of it all, the glaring absence of Ofcom, the worrying normalisation of male violence against women and then unironically segue to the Punch and Judy politics of the UK - as displayed in this week's PMQs. Verbal punches were thrown, knock-outs were landed - and yet Jemma and Marina can't help feeling that literally no one emerges as the winner. Least of all our exhausted and exiting GPs, who it appears the Govt is seeking to placate by installing...a new phone system for a better hold experience.  And the Lords are very much awake for this episode...doing some great work to try and stop the human rights-breaching immigration bill.  Then it's onto pudding from comedian, Trevor Noah that might just leave a sour little taste in one's mouth... Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices