2023 has been such a rollercoaster it can be hard to even remember every panic, scandal and viral trend from the last 12 months.
Luckily for us, Google has been keeping careful count of our searches and has now revealed the top terms Britons looked for in the year.
From Barbie vs Oppenheimer to Tommy Fury vs Jake Paul, Google’s data can now settle some of the year’s biggest face-offs.
While Barbie might have won at the box office, it was Oppenheimer who won out in the battle for our searches.
Meanwhile in the world of sports, Tommy Fury was the most searched-for athlete.
Google has been keeping careful count of our searches and has now revealed the top terms Britons looked for in the year
Barbie might have won at the box office, but Oppenheimer was the most-searched-for film of the year
As part of its 2023 Year in Search roundup, Google has ranked the UK’s top search terms by category.
With all the hype around Barbenheimer, it might not be too surprising that these two films took the top two spots.
This year’s other blockbusters took other top spots with Guardians of the Galaxy coming in third.
Meanwhile, sci-fi comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once beat Killers of the Flower Moon.
There were also some more unusual picks, as Cocaine Bear came in at number eight.
In the world of TV, it was British shows that were the most popular.
Happy Valley, the gritty crime drama set in Yorkshire, was the UK’s most popular show.
Top Boy, The Rig, The Long Shadow, and Luther also made it into the top 10.
However, international hits also made it onto the list, like The Last of Us which came in second.
Happy Valley, a British crime drama set in Yorkshire was the most-searched-for television show in the UK
However, when it came to the year’s most-searched-for people it appears that making it onto the list was not a desirable accolade.
Coming in top position was Huw Edwards, who left his role at the BBC after allegations emerged that he paid for sexually explicit images.
Coming in at second was Phillip Schofield who was embroiled in scandal after it emerged he had been having an ‘unwise, but not illegal’ affair with a younger member of staff.
Finally, in third place was disgraced presenter Russell Brand who has been accused of rape and sexual assault.
Others who made the top ten list through the year included David Beckham, Gary Lineker, and Andrew Tate.
Many of those who made it to the top searched list this year also did so for tragic reasons, as Google recorded the most searched-for names of celebrities who passed away.
Matthew Perry, who sadly died earlier this year, was the most searched-for loss throughout the year.
The second most searched-for celeb who died this year was Tina Turner, who passed away in May at the age of 83.
They were also joined by other greats such as Sinead O’Connor, Paul O’Grady, and Ken Block.
Huw Edwards was the most searched-for person of the year in the UK after leaving his role at the BBC amid accusations of inappropriate behaviour
Matthew Perry may have been the year’s most missed celeb as he was most searched for out of the famous figures who passed away this year
In the world of sports, in a year when the Lionesses came so close to glory, it is no surprise that the Women’s World Cup was the second most searched-for event.
This was only beaten out for the top spot by the Rugby World Cup which also took place this year.
The Women’s World Cup was even more popular as a search term than the Ashes, FA Cup, and Ryder Cup.
The Lionesses also proved popular themselves as ‘When do England ladies play next?’ was the tenth most popular ‘When…’ search term of the year.
Boxing, however, also proved to be one of the year’s most popular sports.
Tommy Fury was the most-searched-for athlete of the year, beating out his arch-rival Jake Paul who came in at fifth.
The boxer’s popularity extended beyond his personal appeal, however, as ‘When is Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury’ was the third highest ‘When…’ question and ‘How to watch Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury’ was the second place ‘How to…’ question.
Other athletes who made it onto the top list included Harry Kane in second, Carlos Alcaraz in third, and Declan Rice just ahead of Jake Paul for fourth place.
The Rugby World Cup was the most-searched sporting event of the year, narrowly beating the Women’s World Cup in popularity
The most searched-for athlete in Britain was Tommy Fury, a professional boxer who gained fame for his appearance on Love Island
When it comes to the ‘when’ and ‘how’ categories, the list of top searches is a trip down memory lane.
‘When is the Coronation?’ was the UK’s most popular ‘when’ question, while ‘When is the Coronation concert?’ came in sixth.
In a clear indication of the UK’s other priorities, the second place was the question: ‘When does Love Island start?’
Topping the tables of ‘How…’ questions was: ‘How to watch the Champions League Final.’
In third place came the phrase ‘How to turn off emergency alerts’, after the government announced it would be testing its emergency alert system earlier this year.
Another top story from this year which made it into our search history was the question ‘How to prevent bed bugs?’
‘How to stop bedbugs’ was the eight most common ‘How…’ phrase on Google after fears of an infestation were sparked by a large number of cases in Paris
Fears of a plague of the biting insects spiked earlier this year after Paris was overrun by the critters.
The ‘How…’ questions also showed an interesting case of buyer’s remorse when it came to the new Snapchat AI.
‘How to get my AI on Snapchat’ came in at number four for the most searched-for question of the year.
However, just behind in fifth place is the question: ‘How to get rid of Snapchat AI‘.
Matt Cooke, Head of Google News Lab says: ‘As we reach the end of 2023, it’s refreshing to be reminded of everything we enjoyed throughout the year – which otherwise had its fair share of challenging moments for the UK and the world.
‘From David Beckham’s return to the spotlight, to Barbie vs. Oppenheimer, to the highs of England’s sporting successes, we’ve had moments to keep us smiling despite difficult times.’
