Donald Trump, the outspoken President of the United States is the most searched term by Yahoo users in the UK this year. Yahoo’s Year in Review reveals the biggest news stories, social trends and searches of 2017, taken from the billions of searches made on Yahoo Search over the course of the past year.
Key findings:
● ‘Love Island’, Donald Trump and Meghan Markle dominated online searches in 2017 in Yahoo’s annual reflection of Britain’s search habits and trends
● Yahoo’s Year in Review rankings, gleaned from billions of online searches on Yahoo in 2017, name Donald Trump as the UK’s most searched for overall term, news item AND politician this year
● ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ beats ‘Love Island’ to the top spot for most searched for TV programmes of the year
● 2017’s burning questions are revealed: ‘How to make slime,’ ‘How old is Debbie McGee?’ and searching for the meaning of individual emojis
Year in Review depicts the biggest news stories, social trends and searches of 2017, taken from the billions of searches made on Yahoo Search over the course of the past year, creating top 10 lists of the searches in the following categories: Sport, TV, politics, Celebrities, Royals, burning questions and even Donald Trump!
Trump, one of the most divisive presidents to ever lead the United States beat out stiff competition from Brexit and the General Election to claim the title of ‘most searched term’ in 2017. Meanwhile, the UK’s obsession with ‘Love Island’ was evident as the reality show finished sixth, losing out to BBC’s Saturday night staple ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ which placed fifth in the overall search.
‘Shape of You’ singer Ed Sheeran, was the fourth most searched for term this year, topping fellow singer Ariana Grande, whose talent and compassion this year saw her place tenth. Ed had quite the year breaking a Spotify record for first-day album streams with 56.7 million listens in just 24 hours for his 13th album.
Searches for UK terrorist attacks that have befallen the country this year including the Manchester Arena bombing, Westminster Bridge attack and Borough Market attacks placed seventh on the list with ‘Game of Thrones’ and North Korea landing in eighth and ninth respectively.
The Top 10 of everything in 2017
1. Donald Trump
2. Brexit
3. UK General Election
4. Ed Sheeran
5. Strictly Come Dancing
6. Love Island
7. UK Terrorism
8. Game of Thrones
9. North Korea
10. Ariana Grande
Donald Trump also topped the list of most searched news terms in 2017: no doubt resulting from both his outspoken nature on social media and his foreign and domestic incidents that have captivated the UK population. Both Brexit and the General Election came in at second and third, revealing public interest and anxiety about the country’s future and possible direction.
The terrorist attacks that have plagued the UK throughout 2017 gave cause for great concern, ranking as the fourth most searched news item, and Kim Jong Un’s weaponisation of North Korea rounding off the top five.
Hurricane Irma, Universal Credit, Theresa May, the Grenfell Tower Fire and Madeleine McCann finished the top 10.
Who made the news in Yahoo 2017 searches?
1. Donald Trump
2. Brexit
3. General Election
4. UK Terrorism
5. North Korea
6. Hurricane Irma
7. Universal Credit
8. Theresa May
9. Grenfell Tower Fire
10. Madeleine McCann
Ed Sheeran, the ‘Game of Thrones’ inductee tops the list of top searched celebrities thanks to his number one selling album and relentless touring. At one point during 2017, Taylor Swift’s bestie had 16 songs in the UK’s Top 20.
Interestingly, Meghan Markle stormed the celebrities list landing sixth overall, beating out fellow royal-by-association Pippa Middleton who tied the knot this year to former British professional racing driver and hedge fund manager James Matthews. No doubt we will see Meghan for top spot next year after the exciting announcement of a Spring wedding.
CELEBRITIES – Ed Sheeran takes top spot
1. Ed Sheeran
2. Ariana Grande
3. Cheryl
4. Katie Price
5. Little Mix
6. Meghan Markle
7. Tom Hardy
8. Pippa Middleton
9. Katy Perry
10. Emma Watson
In the year of the general election, UK politicians were still eclipsed by Donald Trump who commands top spot on the list of most searched for politicians. His brash and outlandish personality saw both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn fall beneath him, with the embattled Conservative leader showing face, beating Jeremy Corbyn to second.
Fellow Conservatives Boris Johnson and Priti Patel landed at seventh and ninth respectively with Diane Abbott, Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington.
Trump reigns supreme
1. Donald Trump
2. Theresa May
3. Jeremy Corbyn
4. Diane Abbott
5. Nicola Sturgeon
6. Boris Johnson
7. Martin McGuinness
8. Emmanuel Macron
9. Priti Patel
10. Andrea Leadsom
This year the country fell under Johanna Konta’s spell as she took the cup for most searched for sports personality. Konta’s run to the Wimbledon semi-final brought the country together, and whilst she may have stumbled against Venus Williams, she remains our champion.
Anthony Joshua, the British heavyweight boxer with a towering record of 20 wins by KO comes in second with fellow combat sportsman and UFC personality Conor McGregor coming in at tenth. Both fighters have had incredible years with one holding the Internal Boxing Organisation’s World Heavyweight title, WBA Super World Heavyweight title and IBF World Heavyweight title while the other entered the boxing ring for the first time, fought one of the best boxers in the world and brought together two disciplines.
Ex-England International and Everton striker Wayne Rooney is used to being at the top of the Premier League table and now he is at the top of Yahoo’s most searched names in football for 2017. His move from Manchester United to Everton sparked huge interest amongst football fans up and down the country, as well as his involvement with Laura Simpson in September, which intrigued the nation.
Konta takes Kontrol of the sports personalities
1. Johanna Konta
2. Anthony Joshua
3. Andy Murray
4. Wayne Rooney
5. Cristiano Ronaldo
6. Lewis Hamilton
7. Bobby Moore
8. Roger Federer
9. Serena Williams
10. Conor McGregor
Wayne Rooney: Player on and off the pitch
1. Wayne Rooney
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
3. Bobby Moore
4. Ronnie Moran
5. Lionel Messi
6. Ugo Ehiogu
7. Romelu Lukaku
8. Graham Taylor
9. Harry Kane
10. Neymar
The battle for the top of the most searched for TV programmes was won by ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, beating out its BBC rival ‘EastEnders’ for the top spot.
‘Love Island’, this summer’s obsession, landed in third position with the likes of Kem, Chris and Montana helping the show beat off stiff competition from Daenerys and her Dragons (‘Game of Thrones’), which came in at fourth. ‘Celebrity Big Brother’, ‘Coronation Street’, ‘Emmerdale’, ‘Big Brother’, ‘The Voice’ and ‘Doctor Who’ finalise the top 10.
Strictly Come Dancing reigns supreme in most searched TV
1. Strictly Come Dancing
2. ‘EastEnders’
3. Love Island
4. Game of Thrones
5. Celebrity Big Brother
6. Coronation Street
7. Emmerdale
8. Big Brother
9. The Voice
10. Doctor Who
Britain’s burning question of 2017 was revealed as ‘how to make slime.’ When it comes to the inquisitive nature of the British public, slime took the year by storm, with kids and adults alike rooting around for any left over washing up liquid, toothpaste and salt to make the slimiest slime known to man.
Debbie McGee, her appearance in ‘Strictly’ and interest in how she remains looking so youthful took second place with the question, ‘How old is Debbie McGee?’, while confusion around emojis elevated it to the third most popular query.
Cape Verde, the nation on a volcanic archipelago off the northwest coast of Africa surprisingly sits in seventh. Interest in the country peaked when budget airline Easyjet announced it would be flying to its sandy beaches and warm waters.
2017 – time for slime
1. How to make slime
2. How old is Debbie McGee?
3. Emoji meanings
4. What is a hung Parliament?
5. Where is Broadchurch filmed?
6. How old is The Queen?
7. Where is Cape Verde?
8. How old is Donald Trump?
9. What is the minimum wage?
10. What time is the McGregor fight?
In the fight for royal supremacy, the Duchess of Cambridge solidified herself as one of the nation’s favourite royals by pipping Pippa to the post.
Meghan Markle, the newcomer, shot up to second following a whirlwind romance with Prince Harry and while she is not technically a royal, yet, he is smitten by the American actress and humanitarian. In fact, Meghan captivated more with her arrival into the royal circle, than Pippa Middleton – despite her wedding earlier in the year.
We expect the nation to be even more captivated with Meghan next year, with the couple expected to wed next Spring. The husband-to-be sits in fourth place while his brother, Prince William landed in seventh with his and The Duchess of Cambridge’s son, Prince George settling in ninth. His sister, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge didn’t make the top 10, but perhaps she and her new sibling will make a run for the top in 2018.
Duchess of Cambridge crowned queen of the royals
1. Duchess of Cambridge
2. Meghan Markle
3. Pippa Middleton
4. Prince Harry
5. Princess Diana
6. Queen Elizabeth
7. Prince William
8. Prince Philip
9. Prince George
10. Prince Charles
It wouldn’t be 2017 without dissecting the most talked about politician, and most online-searched person in the UK this year. Trump can captivate and capsize in the same sentence and with his divisive shock tactics he astonishes audiences across the world. Here are his Top Trumps.
His wife and First Lady Melania Trump is the second most searched for Trump related term after the man himself. His proposed visit to the UK stirred up enough reaction that ‘UK visit’ was the third most searched for Trump related term. His Twitter account was the fourth most searched for Trump term with travel ban, Ivanka, Russia and the press coming in at fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth respectively.
The infamous Mexican wall featured at number nine with Theresa May’s relationship with Trump proving a point of interest for the British public, landing at number 10.
Top Trumps
1. Donald
2. Melania
3. UK Visit
4. Twitter
5. Travel Ban
6. Ivanka
7. Russia
8. The Press
9. Mexico Wall
10. May
About the Yahoo Year in Review Methodology
To develop the Yahoo Year in Review, our editors analyse Yahoo Search queries based on a number of factors, including absolute volume and growth from previous periods, to see which themes and trends bubble to the surface. Individuals and their Search queries always remain anonymous. This list is constructed without navigational searches – i.e. searches where the intention is clearly purely to navigate to a site rather than to discover information.