From the King’s Coronation to Matthew Perry: What were Brits searching for the most in 2023? Check out the full list

11 December 2023, 13:20

Wonder which topics have been at the forefront of Brits’ minds over the last year? Here’s a round-up of Google’s most searched-for terms in 2023.

Several significant cultural moments have swept the world in the last year, from the birth of Barbenheimer to King Charles' Coronation and the Women’s World Cup.

But which terms were Brits searching for the most? Luckily Google has been keeping track so you can reflect on the last year in one go.

Twenty million Brits tuned in to watch King Charles’ historic Coronation on 7 May, so it’s no surprise that questions about the big day ranked top of the most searched-for ‘when’ questions in the UK.

Several of the top ‘when’ questions concerned the Royal Family, as well as queries about train strikes and the Women’s World Cup.

Most searched for ‘when’ questions

1. When is the Coronation
2. When does Love Island start
3. When is Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury
4. When is Eid Al-Adha
5. When is KSI vs Tommy
6. When is the Coronation concert
7. When did the Queen die
8. When was Israel created
9. When are the train strikes
10. When do England ladies play next

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AI was rolled out across several social media platforms in 2023, but clearly not everyone was comfortable with the tech's arrival, as reflected by the most searched-for ‘how’ questions of the year.

Most searched for ‘how’ questions

1. How to watch Champions League Final
2. How to watch Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury
3. How to turn off emergency alerts
4. How to get my AI on Snapchat
5. How to get rid of Snapchat AI
6. How to watch The Last of Us UK
7. How to prevent bed bugs
8. How to block someone on TikTok
9. How to breed Shugabush
10. How to watch KSI v Fury

One of the most talked about cultural moments of the year saw mega blockbusters Barbie and Oppenheimer battle it out at the box office, resulting in what became known as the ‘Barbenheimer’ marathon.

But while Barbie may have come out on top at the box office with nearly an extra half a million, it seems Brits were more keen to know about Oppenheimer beyond the screen.

Most searched for films

1. Oppenheimer
2. Barbie
3. Guardians of the Galaxy
4. Everything Everywhere All At Once
5. The Menu
6. Killers of the Flower Moon
7. John Wick 4
8. Cocaine Bear
9. Bank of Dave
10. Creed 3

After a seven-year hiatus, the return of Happy Valley saw searches spike for the gritty crime-drama, among other TV hits, including The Last of Us and Netflix’s Ginny and Georgia.

Most searched for TV shows

1. Happy Valley
2. The Last of Us
3. The Rig
4. Ginny and Georgia
5. Top Boy
6. The Long Shadow
7. The Sixth Commandment
8. Daisy Jones and the Six
9. Luther
10. Black Mirror

A number of beloved names passed away in 2023, from Friends star Matthew Perry to Rock n’ Roll icon Tina Turner - here are the most searched-for deaths of the year.

Most searched-for deaths

1. Matthew Perry
2. Tina Turner
3. Sinead O'Connor
4. Paul O'Grady
5. Ken Block
6. Bobby Charlton
7. Rolf Harris
8. Paul Cattermole
9. Michael Gambon
10. Lisa Marie Presley

Most searched-for people

1. Huw Edwards
2. Phillip Schofield
3. Russell Brand
4. Andrew Tate
5. Mama Cax
6. Tommy Fury
7. Harry Kane
8. Gary Lineker
9. David Beckham
10. Jeremy Renner

Reflecting on the year's search terms, Matt Cooke, Head of Google News Lab said: “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.”

Other searched terms of the year

Most searched for athletes:

1. Tommy Fury
2. Harry Kane
3. Carlos Alcaraz
4. Declan Rice
5. Jake Paul
6. Kylian Mbappé
7. Moisés Caicedo
8. Luis Diaz
9. Lauren James
10. Damar Hamlin

Most searched for sports events

1. Rugby World Cup
2. Women's World Cup
3. Ashes
4. Cricket World Cup
5. World Cup
6. FA Cup
7. Champions League
8. Euro Qualifiers
9. Ryder Cup
10. Carabao Cup