These were the most popular Google searches in the UK in 2017

Ah, Google, that thing that helps. That thing that means that no question will ever go unanswered. What is this rash on my leg? Answered. What is this rash on my arm? Answered. What is this rash on my head? You better believe it’s answered (I am going to die). 

But what were the most searched-for terms this year? Lots of things happened, good and bad, and lots of people existed, good and bad; so who came out on top? 

Well, out of all the different searches, it was, unsurprisingly, Meghan Markle who came out number one - yep, the woman who will become the Queen next year (right?) was at the tip of everyone’s fingers in 2017. Here’s the full top ten:

1. Meghan Markle
2. iPhone 8 
3. Hurricane Irma 
4. Fidget spinner 
5. Manchester bombing 
6. Grenfell Tower 
7. 13 Reasons Why 
8. Tara Palmer Tomkinson 
9. Shannon Matthews 
10. iPhone X

Most entries are pretty obvious - it’s a mixture of notable people, tech and news stories, as well as hit Netflix show 13 Reasons Why, and Shannon Matthews, the subject of a 2008 kidnapping whose name was relevant again due to another popular TV show, The Moorside. Oh yeah, and fucking fidget spinners.

If we look at news searches, specifically, then the list changes slightly, but still retains some overlap:

1. Hurricane Irma
2. Manchester bombing
3. Grenfell Tower
4. North Korea 
5. London Bridge attack 
6. General election 
7. Harvey Weinstein
8. Catalan independence 
9. Las Vegas shooting
10. Kevin Spacey

Conversely, if we look simply at people, then Ms Markle out-ranks the rest once again:

1. Meghan Markle
2. Tara Palmer Tomkinson
3. Shannon Matthews
4. Charlie Gard
5. Jack Maynard
6. Donald Trump
7. Chester Bennington
8. Bruce Forsyth
9. Harvey Weinstein
10. Jodie Whittaker

Others on the list include Charlie Gard, the child caught up in a lengthy legal battle over health care; Jack Maynard, the vlogger who got booted from I’m A Celeb; Linkin Park’s lead singer, Chester Bennington, who passed away this year; Jodie Whittaker, the first female Doctor; and some bloke called Donald Trump who I am unaware of and can’t be arsed to research.

Alongside your more standard searches, obviously people still ask Google questions, like they’re living in some crazy Ask Jeeves alternate reality, so below are the top ten ‘questions’ asked (not all of it is surprising):

1. What is a hung parliament?
2. What is an exit poll?
3. What is the Confederations Cup?
4. What is Bitcoin?
5. What is the Antikythera mechanism?
6. What is a pangolin?
7. What is a general election?
8. What is waterboarding?
9. What is the DUP?
10. What is Pink’s real name?

In case you were wondering, it’s Alecia Beth Moore. Thought I’d save you some time, there.

(Image: Rex)