Bing UK searches show 2012 was a year in which Britons clamoured to see more (literally) of their favourite people than ever before. The search engine today releases its most-searched lists, based on the aggregation of billions of search queries conducted by Brits on Bing.com this year.
Singer Tulisa Contostavlos shows she has the X Factor as the UK’s most searched person in 2012, beating 2011 winner Justin Bieber, who dropped to fifth place this year. And while Tulisa’s singing career and role as X Factor judge no doubt inspired many of these searches, the leak of a certain video in March might also have played a part.
It was also a big year for 2012’s second-most-searched person, Kate Middleton, with not just the Royal Wedding but some unauthorised holiday snaps sending people online in their droves to find out more. Prince Harry also got people searching after his right royal Vegas antics. The third in line to the throne was the UK’s sixth most-searched person, behind Cheryl Cole, the late Whitney Houston and Justin Bieber.
Robert Pattinson, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and disgraced TV presenter Jimmy Savile round out the top 10.
In the afterglow of the Games, it’s to be expected that Olympics and London 2012 were the most-searched events of 2012, with Olympians leading the most-searched sports stars list. Gold-winning cyclist and Strictly Come Dancing star Victoria Pendleton raced to the top, followed by sprinter Usain Bolt and gold medallist tennis star Andy Murray. Stricken footballer Fabrice Muamba was the fourth most searched sportsperson, with heptathlete Jessica Ennis in fifth place.
Most-searched celebrity couple Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart kept Britons guessing with their on-again, off-again romance this year, but their new movie, Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2, could only muster fifth place in the most-searched movies list, with the top spot taken out by The Avengers. EastEnders beat out reality TV rivals Big Brother and X Factor to become 2012’s most searched TV show.
Bing UK Director of Search Dave Coplin says: “Every year, the Bing search results give us a unique insight into what and who is top of mind for Brits. It’s always fascinating to see which celebrities have had the biggest impact on Britons throughout the year, and of course it’s no surprise to see that the 2012 Olympics and Olympians have captured our hearts and minds after such a golden summer.”
See below for more fascinating insights into what Brits searched for – from fashion to Facebook to food to festivals – this year on Bing.com.
| 2012’s most searched people
1. Tulisa Contostavlos 2. Kate Middleton 3. Cheryl Cole 4. Whitney Houston 5. Justin Bieber 6. Prince Harry 7. Robert Pattinson 8. Rihanna 9. Kim Kardashian 10. Jimmy Savile |
2011 results
1. Justin Bieber 2. Kim Kardashian 3. Lady Gaga 4. Jennifer Aniston 5. Pippa Middleton 6. Katy Perry 7. Kate Middleton 8. Tulisa Contostavlos 9. Scarlett Johansson 10. Angelina Jolie |
| 2012’s most searched sports stars
1. Victoria Pendleton 2. Usain Bolt 3. Andy Murray 4. Fabrice Muamba 5. Jessica Ennis 6. Tom Daley 7. Cristiano Ronaldo 8. Lance Armstrong 9. David Beckham 10. Mo Farah |
2011 results
1. David Beckham 2. Ryan Giggs 3. Lewis Hamilton 4. Andy Murray 5. Maria Sharapova 6. Wayne Rooney 7. Cristiano Ronaldo 8. Usain Bolt 9. Jessica Ennis 10. Jenson Button |
2012’s most searched events
1. Olympics
2. London 2012
3. Euro 2012
4. Diamond Jubilee
5. Paralympics
6. Wimbledon
7. Tour de France
8. Hurricane Sandy
9. US election
10. Leveson Inquiry
2012’s most searched movies
1. The Avengers
2. The Hunger Games
3. Prometheus
4. Skyfall
5. Twilight Breaking Dawn II
6. Dark Knight Rises
7. The Amazing Spiderman
8. Snow White & The Huntsman
9. Taken 2
10. The Dictator
2012’s most searched TV shows
1. EastEnders
2. Big Brother
3. X Factor
4. Doctor Who
5. Coronation Street
6. Strictly Come Dancing
7. The Only Way Is Essex
8. Celebrity Big Brother
9. Game of Thrones
10. The Walking Dead
Most searched social networks
| 1. Facebook |
| 2. YouTube |
| 3. Twitter |
| 4. LinkedIn |
| 5. Tumblr |
| 6. Spotify
7. Pinterest |
| 8. Myspace |
| 9. Instagram |
| 10. WordPress |
Top searches:
Celebrity couple Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart
Celebrity wedding Jessica Biel’s pink wedding dress
Celebrity death Robin Gibb death
Celebrity divorce Katie Holmes divorce
Celebrity baby Robbie Williams baby pics
Celebrity pregnant Imogen Thomas pregnant
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver
Girl band Little Mix
Boy band One Direction
Lyrics Call Me Maybe
Festival V Festival
Fashion brand Next
Store Argos
Supermarket Tesco
Football club Liverpool FC
Movie trailer Skyfall
Politician David Cameron
US politician Barack Obama
Car model Nissan Qashqai
Car make BMW
Airline Ryanair
Holiday destination Turkey
Viral video Gangnam Style
Diet Cambridge diet
Recipe Pancakes
Astrologer Jonathan Cainer
Who… unfollowed me
What… car
How… I met your mother
