Everything’s coming up Meghan! Duchess of Sussex TOPS Google’s list of most trending people alongside CBB star Roxanne Pallett and troubled singer Demi Lovato
- Google compared searches from this year and 2017 to find biggest increases
- Meghan Markle, Roxanne Pallett, and Demi Lovato topped list of individuals
- Top sporting event was World Cup, while royal wedding and baby topped news
Meghan Markle has certainly had a whirlwind year, marrying Prince Harry in May, announcing her pregnancy in October and embarking on her first royal tour.
And to top all that off, new data reveals that the Duchess of Sussex became the most searched-for person in the UK compared with last year – with her nuptials becoming the number one trending news event.
The mother-to-be, 37, joined controversial CBB star Roxanne Pallett – who said she felt she was ‘the most hated girl in Britain’ – at the top of Google’s Year In Search.
The technology company kept track of what the public were searching throughout this year and 2017 and compiled lists of the people and subjects that saw the biggest relative increases in interest.
Meghan Markle (pictured in London in November) topped Google’s top trending people list this year, alongside controversial CBB star Roxanne Pallett
Ms Pallett (left) made headlines in September after claiming fellow Celebrity Big Brother contestant Ryan Thomas had hurt her by punching her. Demi Lovato came in third on the list of top searched for individuals after she entered rehab (right)
Ms Pallett made headlines in September after claiming fellow Celebrity Big Brother contestant Ryan Thomas had hurt her by ‘punching’ her, in an exchange which many viewers defended as play fighting.
The Punchgate controversy dominated the news agenda for weeks with the Emmerdale star later apologising on Jeremy Vine’s current affairs show.
Royal baby news came in second place for trending news, thanks to the birth of Prince Louis in April alongside Prince Harry and Meghan’s pregnancy announcement in October.
The top trending search query overall in the UK was the World Cup, in a year in which the England football team reached the semi-finals of the tournament.
Ant McPartlin (pictured in London in April) was the fourth trending individual on Google’s list, after he entered rehab for drug addiction and gave up presenting
Khloe Kardashian (pictured in Hollywood in November) was the 10th top trending query in the UK overall after giving birth to her first child
Alexis Sanchez, the footballer signed for Manchester United from Arsenal in January (left), and Sir Alex Ferguson (right), who underwent emergency brain operation in May, were also among the top trending individuals
Logan Paul (pictured in Los Angeles in 2017) also topped the news agenda, after he posted a video that showed a deceased man’s corpse in the infamous Aokigahara Forest in Japan
The film Black Panther and video game Fortnite also made the top 10 online queries, having both enjoyed runaway success in 2018.
Singer Demi Lovato was third on the list of people after reportedly suffering an overdose in the summer, while TV presenter Ant McPartlin came in fourth after a year which saw him divorce his wife, enter rehab for drug addiction and gain a conviction for drink driving.
Other notable entries in this year’s diverse list include GDPR, the new European data protection legislation introduced in May, and reality star Khloe Kardashian, who gave birth to her first child in April.
Top 10s from Google’s Year In Search
UK top trending Google queries
- World Cup (held this summer, won by France)
- Meghan Markle (actress married Prince Harry to become Duchess of Sussex)
- Royal wedding (star-studded ceremony held in Windsor)
- Black Panther (record-breaking action film released)
- Roxanne Pallett (embroiled in Celebrity Big Brother ‘punch’ row)
- Fortnite (video game which became hugely popular in 2018)
- Demi Lovato (entered rehab after she reportedly suffered overdose)
- Ant McPartlin (took break from presenting after drug problems)
- A Star Is Born (Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper film)
- Khloe Kardashian (reality star gave birth to her first child)
UK top trending people
- Meghan Markle (actress married Prince Harry to become Duchess of Sussex)
- Roxanne Pallett (embroiled in Celebrity Big Brother ‘punch’ row)
- Demi Lovato (entered rehab after she reportedly suffered overdose)
- Ant McPartlin (took break from presenting after drug problems)
- Khloe Kardashian (reality star gave birth to her first child)
- Alexis Sanchez (footballer signed for Manchester United from Arsenal in January)
- Sir Alex Ferguson (underwent emergency brain operation in May)
- Logan Paul (YouTube star criticised over video featuring dead body)
- Sylvester Stallone (announced he was quitting the role of Rocky Balboa)
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (footballer signed for Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund)
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding in Windsor in May was the top trending news event this year (the newlyweds are pictured sharing a kiss on the steps of St. George’s Chapel)
UK top trending news events
- Royal wedding (star-studded ceremony held in Windsor)
- Royal baby (Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to Prince Louis in April; Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced in October they would be having a baby)
- GDPR (new European laws on data security introduced in May)
- Jeremy Thorpe (police revisited 1970s scandal, shortly after BBC series aired)
- Spice Girls (reunited for stadium tour without Victoria Beckham)
- Carillion (Construction firm went in to liquidation in January)
- Australian flu (Brits concerned over strain of illness that spread in January)
- Hurricane Florence (US storm caused devastation and death in August and September)
- Stormy Daniels (former porn actress who claimed affair with Donald Trump pulled out late on from Celebrity Big Brother appearance)
- iPhone XR (new Apple product announced in September)
UK top trending sporting events
- The World Cup
- Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury
- Grand National
- Wimbledon
- Winter Olympics
- Ryder Cup
- Commonwealth Games
- Super Bowl
- Anthony Joshua vs. Joseph Parker
- Cheltenham Festival