Cognitive Decline Meet Geopolitics: Confidently Clueless

It’s been a weekend of extremes. Marina and Jemma start with a rare moment of awe as they consider the Artemis mission and those breath-taking images of Earth before crashing straight back down into a news cycle that feels increasingly chaotic and surreal. From horrific, sweary 5am presidential posts to rising global tensions and questions over leadership, they unpack the moments that left everyone glued to their phones over Easter.Along the way, they cut through the noise with sharp commentary, dark humour, and listener-favourite clips, calling out the contradictions, the absurdity, and the very real human cost behind the headlines. It’s light and shade in its purest form: wonder, anger, disbelief and a running question of how much more unhinged things can get.Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including:• Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on• Early access to The Trawl Meets…• Glorious ad-free episodesPlus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat.And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone.Come join the fun:https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A very Friday feeling Trawl. Jemma and Marina are back on the scroll, cutting through the chaos with equal parts rage, wit, and ridiculousness.They begin with the utter farce of daylight saving time and a Question Timebooking that raises serious questions. Mainly, why?Then the Trawl ladies discuss the powerful, joyful anti–far right march that the mainstream somehow managed to side-line They also precis what has been a spectacularly bad week for Nigel Farage.Plus: the internet at its finest (and worst), from elite-level insults to accidental comedy gold.Smart, sharp, and just unhinged enough—it’s The Trawl doing what it does best.Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including:• Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on• Early access to The Trawl Meets…• Glorious ad-free episodesPlus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat.And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone.Come join the fun:https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump’s back on the mic and it’s… Sharpies, sex, and 'aced' dementia tests while the world edges closer to chaos.Marina and Jemma wade through the surreal: from Trump confusing cognitive screenings with IQ tests, to casually musing about seizing Iran’s oil like it’s on a tapas menu. Meanwhile, his administration openly flirts with war crimes, hands out awards for sycophancy, and somehow finds time to discuss ballroom renovations mid-conflict.There’s dark absurdity (a literal assassination GoFundMe), genuine fear (what happens if Karg Island is targeted), and the creeping reality that global stability may hinge on one man’s ego.Plus: brain-fart moments, EastEnders-style geopolitics, listener stories that hit hard, and a reminder that even in the bin fire humanity still exists.It’s chaotic. It’s bleak. It’s occasionally hilarious.It’s The Trawl. Enjoy!Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including:• Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on• Early access to The Trawl Meets…• Glorious ad-free episodesPlus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat.And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone.Come join the fun:https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s one of those episodes.Marina and Jemma try (and occasionally fail) to keep it together as they wade through a week of escalating horror: war rhetoric, media apathy, and leaders who seem either missing in action or actively making things worse. From the sheer scale of the US “No Kings” protests to the deeply disturbing reality unfolding across Iran, Israel and Lebanon, this is a conversation driven by anger, disbelief and a desperate need to make sense of it all. They ask the question many are thinking: why does it feel like the world isn’t reacting? Is it apathy, overwhelm, or something more uncomfortable?There are moments of dark humour (because it’s The Trawl), but this one pulls no punches on Trump, on global leadership, on media coverage, and on the growing sense that ordinary people are being left shouting into the void.Plus: a truly unhinged MAGA money grab, CPAC chaos, and proof that sometimes the most honest commentary is coming from random people online.It’s cathartic, it’s furious, and it’s very, very real.Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including:• Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on• Early access to The Trawl Meets…• Glorious ad-free episodesPlus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat.And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone.Come join the fun:https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Trawl, Jemma and Marina coin a new state of being (“fucktioning”) before diving headfirst into a world that feels increasingly unhinged.From a tribute to Married At First Sight expert Mel Schilling, to the unbearable reality of injustice in Gaza and a horrific story about a little baby boy who was tortured by members of the IDF, the emotional whiplash is real. There’s rage, grief and a necessary pause to cling onto moments of good, because honestly, what’s the alternative?Meanwhile, in The New World, Alan Rusbridger dissects how Ofcom has become slow, cautious and dangerously easy to outmanoeuvre while broadcasters push further into partisan territory without consequence. Jemma and Marina wonder, if the rules exist but no one enforces them… are they rules at all?Add in political grifters, media double standards, and a system that increasingly looks like it’s shrugging rather than safeguarding and you’re left with a question.Is this incompetence… or quiet permission?To sign the petition relating to the Media Sovereignty act, click here: https://mediasovereignty.org/petition/Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including:• Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on• Early access to The Trawl Meets…• Glorious ad-free episodesPlus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat.And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone.Come join the fun:https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BS, Bluster & BacklashJemma and Marina return with a properly unhinged dispatch from a world that seems to be teetering somewhere between “carry on as normal” and “is this how it all ends?”As tensions with Iran escalate (then de-escalate… then escalate again), they unpack the latest chaos surrounding Donald Trump from threats on Truth Social to mysterious “talks” that may or may not exist, and the market moves that have raised some very big questions.They dive into the surreal reality of working, parenting and doing Teams calls while wondering if WW3 is about to kick off, why global alliances are shifting and the increasingly bizarre decision-making at the top of US politics.Plus: AI Trump as Ayatollah, Marco Rubio potentially running the Strait of Hormuz, and why medieval peasant snacks might be the only sane coping strategy left.It’s chaotic, it’s dark, it’s occasionally ridiculous but hopefully it helps make sense of a moment that doesn’t make much sense at all.Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including:• Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on• Early access to The Trawl Meets…• Glorious ad-free episodesPlus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat.And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone.Come join the fun:https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump’s regretting a war he can’t explain, his own counter terrorism chief has walked, and even his podcast fanboys are starting to wobble. Meanwhile, here in Blighty, Starmer’s juggling Mandelson fallout and the Trawl ladies are horrified by the creeping Palantir influence, as tech billionaires get a little too comfortable playing politics. Marina and Jemma can't believe what one Palantir boss is admitting out loud.Then, Richard Tice talks patriotism while taking full advantage of perfectly legal tax structures which means he can shave 600K off his bill. Lucky him! And so interesting given what he had to say about Angela Rayner's 40K discrepancy. Hypocritical much? Meanwhile, Reform’s finest are busy monetising outrage on Cameo. It’s chaos, hypocrisy and a hefty dose of buyer’s remorse. A Saturday Night Live pudding takes the edge off.Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including:• Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on• Early access to The Trawl Meets…• Glorious ad-free episodesPlus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat.And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone.Come join the fun:https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the realities of political life today to looking back on the Blair years, Campbell is open, considered and surprisingly candid about the pressures, the mistakes, and why he thinks Starmer is getting it right, even if the public don't. Marina and Jemma cover everything from global politics to The Rest Is Politics.There are thoughtful moments, a few laughs, and glimpses of the personal side you don’t always hear from family dynamics to podcast partnerships.A fascinating deep dive but don't worry, no bagpipesThank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including:• Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on• Early access to The Trawl Meets…• Glorious ad-free episodesPlus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat.And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone.Come join the fun:https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's nothing remotely funny about war and yet the latest utterings from The White House are so batshit, Jemma and Marina have to laugh. Because if you don't....etc. Tune in for global chaos with a side of clownery. Trump declares victory… then immediately begs the world for help. The Strait of Hormuz turns into a geopolitical panic button, NATO says “absolutely not,” and the internet says “we told you so.”Meanwhile, Pete Hegseth appears to be auditioning for Dr Seuss Does War Crimes, Marco Rubio’s shoes are having their own crisis, and somehow somehow this might all be distracting from the Epstein files.As ever, the Trawl ladies trawl so you don’t have to bringing you the absurd, the infuriating, and the bits that make it all just about bearable.Pudding is served up Jimmy Kimmel style - enjoy. Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including:• Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on• Early access to The Trawl Meets…• Glorious ad-free episodesPlus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat.And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone.Come join the fun:https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Off the back of Louis Theroux’s latest documentary, Marina and Jemma unpack the men building huge online audiences by selling a version of masculinity that feels equal parts contradictory and deeply revealing. From the obsession with status, money and 'high value' women, to the glaring emotional vulnerability sitting just beneath the surface it’s a conversation about what’s really going on here, and why it’s resonating.They dig into the damage, the loneliness, and the logic (or lack of it) behind it all, including the men who seem so close to self-awareness, yet never quite get there. There’s also a look at the role other men play in challenging (or enabling) this behaviour, and why calling it out still feels so rare. They also lose it laughing at points because as ever the internet has delivered...When they're not laughing there are reminders too that, actually, confidence, kindness and emotional intelligence remain infinitely more attractive than whatever’s being peddled online.A brilliant pudding from Russell Kane rounds it off. Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including:• Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on• Early access to The Trawl Meets…• Glorious ad-free episodesPlus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat.And it’s your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you’re not alone.Come join the fun:https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.