The Trawl

Marina and Jemma have found the one thing Trump hasn't ruined yet...oh wait, no, he's got to football too. This week the pair unpick his reverse Midas touch: one US player gets a red card, Trump gets on the blower to his snivelling little ring-kisser Infantino, and hey presto, the suspension vanishes.  Then our hosts turn to the double standard that'll make your adrenal gland overwork: a mask...

Farage detonates the internet with a surprise by-election announcement just as questions over undeclared gifts and crypto cash refuse to go away. Marina and Jemma dissect the latest twist, wonder whether it's political genius or pure theatre, and ask who really benefits from dragging Clacton back to the polls. Elsewhere, England's late-night triumph sparks celebrations (and an unfortunate Jordan H...

In this Trawl, Jemma and Marina dig into Andy Burnham's big speech, ask whether he really could be Britain's next Prime Minister, and examine why parts of the left, right and media all have something to argue about. They also celebrate Elon Musk slipping back from trillionaire status, question the ever-growing wealth of the Royal Family, laugh at Donald Trump's sparsely attended "Great American St...

Last week, politics wasn't the only thing making Jemma and Marina hot under the collar - the weather was and they were melting. Literally. Britain has sweltered through record-breaking temperatures, so the Trawl ladies look at the growing mountain of evidence that climate change is no longer a future problem because it's happening right now. So why are so many TV pundits still insisting it's "just...

Trump's having quite the week... He's been defeated by algae (sabotage, obviously), couldn't do up a medal ribbon, got blanked by every world leader at the G7, and then signed what experts are calling a catastrophic Iran deal — in the actual room in Versailles where Germany surrendered after WWI. The pure poetry of it all! Meanwhile Meloni delivers the clapback of the century ("neither I nor Ital...

A pub in Bethnal Green looked up, clocked who'd walked in, and collectively decided: not here, love. Katie Hopkins was shown the door. She did not go gracefully. Marina and Jemma are delighted - but one pub doing the right thing doesn't mean the country is... This week they unpick what feels like a genuine shift: Elon Musk platforming Tommy Robinson, Lord Hannan's baffling racist football tweet, R...

Nigel Farage gets caught recycling an old England supporter photo, proving once again that authenticity isn't really his game. The Trawl ladies revel in a glorious montage of his Question Time appearances, hear James O'Brien's disbelief and ask why politicians always seem to own a fancy-dress box full of high-vis jackets and football shirts. Elsewhere, the political landscape shifts dramatically a...

For one glorious moment, Makerfield became the centre of the political universe, and what a moment it was. Jemma and Marina rewind the clock to relive Andy Burnham's emphatic by-election win, celebrate Robert Kenyon's spectacular defeat and ask whether Reform UK's momentum has finally hit a few inconvenient speed bumps. They also marvel at the increasingly surreal Sarah Pochin, wonder what Nigel F...

Starmer's government is facing another defence row after senior figures quit over military spending, reigniting questions about Britain's preparedness, Russia's growing threat and whether billions more should be poured into defence while public services struggle. Meanwhile, Labour's proposed ban on social media for under-16s has sparked a fierce debate. Will it protect young people from online har...

Marina and Jemma try to wrap their heads around the arrival of the world's first trillionaire. Just how much money is a trillion dollars, and what does it say about modern society that one man can accumulate that level of wealth while millions struggle? They also dive into Gwyneth Paltrow's eyebrow-raising appearance in a luxury Israeli property campaign, Trump's increasingly bizarre White House U...

Marina and Jemma have been away for a short break, unfortunately Britain hasn't exactly held itself together while they've been away. In this Trawl, they tackle the racist violence that erupted in Belfast, why calling it a "riot" doesn't come close to describing what happened, and the politicians, pundits and social media moguls helping to fan the flames. They look at the shocking media takes that...

Marina and Jemma dive into Trump's increasingly chaotic behaviour, the World Cup visa fiasco, and the extraordinary protests sweeping Albania, where thousands are taking on billionaire land grabs in what protesters are calling the Flamingo Revolution. Meanwhile, Trump is sleeping through basketball games, storming out of interviews and comparing the size of his beloved reflecting pool to skys...

In this episode Jemma and Marina are trawling through a week so full of weapons-grade stupidity they barely know where to start. But first first, they take the opportunity to say Happy Pride Month, Trawlers.  Comedian James Barr absolutely dismantles conservative commentator Michael Knowles live on Piers Morgan Uncensored, and it is  glorious . Reform's candidate for Makerfield, Rob...

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

Marina and Jemma kick things off with a spirited takedown of "optimisation culture" - sparked by a viral clip of  Diary of a CEO 's Stephen Bartlett dramatically declaring that three glasses of wine ruined his life (his Whoop watch told him so). Marina and Jemma are not having it. Yes, sleep matters, yes, balance is key - but why are we KPI-ing ourselves into misery? As Marina puts it: you do...

Marina and Jemma wade into the internet frenzy surrounding Donald Trump’s extremely strange White House pillar moment, the increasingly odd questions around his health, and why he apparently skipped his own son’s wedding. Then it’s over to Scotland, where the pair unpack Peter Murrell’s extraordinary £400k spending spree involving luxury pens, kettles, chopsticks and enough bizarre purchases to ac...

In this Trawl, Marina and Jemma survive Britain’s latest heatwave, the London Underground sauna experience, and yet another deeply questionable Reform candidate. They dive into the climate conversation nobody seems to want to have anymore and discuss whether “doom fatigue” has pushed climate change down the political agenda. Plus: the latest Reform UK chaos, misogynistic comments from would-be pol...

Historian and Broadcaster, Tessa Dunlop, joins Jemma and Marina for a gloriously wide-ranging conversation about monarchy, British identity and the fury of being an outspoken woman in public life. From her PhD on Romanian royalty to why she believes King Charles still gives Britain “soft power” on the world stage, Tessa brings nuance, history and plenty of passion to some of the most divisive...

In this Trawl, Marina and Jemma dive headfirst into what might be the most jaw-dropping week of Trump 2.0 so far. From claims of billion-dollar “slush funds” and eye-watering stock trades to the political takedown of Republican congressman Thomas Massie after he pushed for the Epstein files release, the corruption alarms are deafening. The pair unpack the terrifying power of MAGA loyalty, the grow...

Marina and Jemma dive into the chaos surrounding Tommy Robinson’s “Unite the Kingdom” rally, from the anti-Muslim rhetoric and media silence to the genuinely astonishing musical performances that may qualify as crimes against audio. They unpack why anger and misinformation spread so easily online, question where the press coverage disappeared to, and look at what happens when algorithms replace sh...

Marina and Jemma are spiralling over Labour’s risky civil war. With Andy Burnham heading into the hugely consequential Makerfield by-election, Wes Streeting apparently eyeing the top job, and Reform circling like sharks, the pair ask: how the hell did we end up here already? There’s fury over Brexit being dragged back from the dead, despair at the state of political discourse, confusion over Eurov...

Jemma and Marina take a break from UK political chaos to zoom out and survey the wider world... and it's not pretty. From Trump's increasingly hard-to-deny Oval Office napping to unravelling ceasefire negotiations in the Middle East, the Trawl ladies serve up their trademark mix of righteous fury and sharp humour. Marina's been deep in Italian passport paperwork (backup plan activated should Farag...

Marina and Jemma wade through the chaos engulfing Labour after the bruising local election results, cabinet resignations, media pile-ons and growing calls for Starmer to go. Is this sensible political pressure… or another self-destructive Westminster psychodrama? They discuss: whether Labour is repeating the Tories’ revolving-door mistakes Andy Burnham, Wes Streeting and possible leadership conten...

The local election results are in and… bloody hell. In this Trawl, Jemma and Marina dig into Reform UK’s huge gains, Labour’s mounting panic, and the increasingly chaotic state of British politics. Was this a genuine political realignment, a protest vote, or something much darker bubbling away underneath? From viral clips and media narratives to Nigel Farage, culture wars, dodgy campaign tactics,...

Jemma and Marina dive headfirst into the Met Gala circus from impossible outfits and billionaires playing dress-up, to the growing backlash against celebrity excess in a world on fire. They also tackle Trump casually floating a third term, Nigel Farage mysteriously dodging scrutiny over Reform’s mega-money backers, and why parts of the media seem determined to ignore some scandals while amplifying...