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Home ⁄ Caroline Flack ⁄ Google Year in Search 2020: What were the top Googled searches this year?

Google Year in Search 2020: What were the top Googled searches this year?

Google Year in Search 2020: What were the top Googled searches this year?
Google Year in Search 2020: What were the top Googled searches this year?
Google has revealed the top trending searches for 2020 (Picture: Getty; PA; Rex; AP)

No prizes for guessing the subject most heavily Googled over the course of 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic took hold of the global population.

The search giant has released its customary list of the most searched-for topics in various categories. And while Covid-19 dominated, the contentious US election also took a lot of the search traffic.

As the world adapted to new ways of living, searches for ‘How to make a face mask’ and ‘How to make hand sanitizer’ came out on top of the ‘How to…?’ list.

This was closely followed by ‘How to make bread’ and ‘How to cut your own hair’.

Coronavirus took sport away for a few months but ‘Premier League’ topped the list of sport-related searches as fans celebrated the comeback of the league in June.

And despite being postponed this year because of the pandemic, Love Island was the top trending TV show of the year. The tragic death of presenter Caroline Flack in February also meant she was one of the most-Googled figures of 2020.

‘The 2020 Year in Search lists not only reveal the most popular trends from the past 12 months, but also give insight into the biggest events in the news, politics, sports, entertainment and popular lockdown trends,’ said Kirstin Wright, a Google Trends expert.

‘As people continue to look for information in new and different ways, Google Search keeps evolving to make the world’s information accessible and useful to all.’

Here are the top 10 Google searches for 2020 in each of the different categories.

UK Top Trending Google queries 2020

Margaret Keenan, 90, is applauded by staff as she returns to her ward after becoming the first person in the United Kingdom to receive the Pfizer/BioNtech covid-19 vaccine at University Hospital, Coventry, at the start of the largest ever immunisation programme in the UK's history. PA Photo. Picture date: Tuesday December 8, 2020. The UK is the first country in the world to start vaccinating people with the Pfizer/BioNTech jab. See PA story HEALTH Coronavirus. Photo credit should read: Jacob King/PA Wire
Margaret Keenan, 90, is applauded by staff as she returns to her ward after becoming the first person in the United Kingdom to receive the Pfizer/BioNtech covid-19 vaccine at University Hospital, Coventry, at the start of the largest ever immunisation programme in the UK’s history. (Credits: PA)
  1. Coronavirus 
  2. US election
  3. Caroline Flack
  4. Coronavirus symptoms
  5. Coronavirus update
  6. Premier League
  7. Boris Johnson
  8. Eat Out to Help Out
  9. Kobe Bryant
  10. Kim Jong-un

How To

Train commuter wearing PPE face mask for safety
Young male traveller on a train wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) face mask as a precautionary measure against COVID-19. (Credits: Getty Images)
  1. How to make a face mask?
  2. How to make hand sanitizer?
  3. How to make bread?
  4. How to get tested for coronavirus?
  5. How to cut your own hair?
  6. How to cook eel?
  7. How to cut men’s hair?
  8. How to boost immune system?
  9. How to self isolate?
  10. How to treat coronavirus?

Top questions

President-elect Joe Biden speaks about jobs at The Queen theater, Friday, Dec. 4, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
President-elect Joe Biden (Credits: AP)
  1. Who won the election?
  2. Where does vanilla flavouring come from?
  3. How many cases of coronavirus in UK?
  4. What is VE day?
  5. How did coronavirus start?
  6. When will lockdown end?
  7. How to make a face mask?
  8. How to make hand sanitizer?
  9. How many people have died from coronavirus?
  10. How many people have died from coronavirus?

Celebrities

Phillip Schofield on therapy
Philip Schofield was the most Googled celeb (Credits: Ken McKay/ITV/REX)
  1. Phillip Schofield
  2. Carole Baskin
  3. Joe Exotic
  4. Jordan North
  5. Elon Musk
  6. Prince Harry
  7. Kanye West
  8. Ruthie Henshall
  9. Johnny Depp
  10. Tom Hanks

Coronavirus

Inside The Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital In Lancashire
A Junior Doctor holds his stethoscope during a patient visit on Ward C22 at The Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital in East Lancashire, during the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic (Photo by Hannah McKay – Pool/Getty Images)
  1. Coronavirus
  2. Coronavirus symptoms
  3. Coronavirus update
  4. Eat Out to help Out
  5. Hand sanitizer
  6. Coronavirus stats
  7. Covid test
  8. Covid-19 prevention
  9. Italy coronavirus
  10. Furlough

Delivery

London, UK - April 22, 2020: Red delivery troll belonging to Royal Mail on a street in London. Royal Mail is a postal service and courier company in the United Kingdom, originally established in 1516.
Red delivery troll belonging to Royal Mail on a street in London (Credits: Getty Images)
  1. Afternoon tea delivery
  2. Wine delivery
  3. Compost delivery
  4. Milk delivery
  5. Fruit and veg delivery
  6. Paint delivery
  7. Supermarket delivery
  8. Birthday cake delivery
  9. Garden centre delivery
  10. Meat delivery

DIY

Hand sanitiser in a classroom at Outwood Academy Adwick in Doncaster, as schools in England reopen to pupils following the coronavirus lockdown. PA Photo. Picture date: Wednesday September 2, 2020. More than a quarter of parents said they were not planning to send their child back to school at the start of term, while a further 20 percent remained undecided, according to a poll by the charity Parentkind. See PA story EDUCATION Schools. Photo credit should read: Danny Lawson/PA Wire
Hand sanitiser in a classroom at Outwood Academy Adwick in Doncaster, as schools in England reopen to pupils following the coronavirus lockdown. (Credits: PA)
  1. DIY face mask
  2. DIY hand sanitizer
  3. DIY click and collect
  4. DIY shops
  5. DIY garden ideas
  6. Mud kitchen DIY
  7. Are DIY stores open during lockdown?
  8. DIY diamond painting
  9. DIY haircut
  10. DIY decking

Fitness

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 23: In this screengrab, Joe Wicks takes part in the BBC Children In Need and Comic Relief 'Big Night In at London on April 23, 2020 in London, England.The 'Big Night In' brings the nation an evening of unforgettable entertainment in a way we've never seen before. Raising money for and paying tribute to those on the front line fighting Covid-19 and all the unsung heroes supporting their communities. (Photo by Comic Relief/BBC Children in Need/Comic Relief via Getty Images)
Joe Wicks takes part in the BBC Children In Need and Comic Relief ‘Big Night In’ at London on April 23, 2020 (Photo by Comic Relief/BBC Children in Need/Comic Relief via Getty Images)
  1. Joe Wicks kids workout
  2. Joe Wicks workout
  3. Chloe Ting workout
  4. Skipping workout
  5. Joe Wicks workout for seniors
  6. Fitness equipment
  7. Resistance bands workout
  8. Workout bench
  9. Exercise bike uk
  10. Folding exercise bike

Losses

Editorial Use Only. No Merchandising. No Commercial Use. Mandatory Credit: Photo by ITV/REX/Shutterstock (10266915p) Caroline Flack 'Love Island' TV Show, Series 5, Episode 1, Majorca, Spain - 03 Jun 2019
Caroline Flack died in February (Picture: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
  1. Caroline Flack
  2. Kobe Bryant
  3. Naya Rivera
  4. Chadwick Boseman
  5. Sean Connery
  6. Maradona
  7. Sushant Singh Rajput
  8. Kirk Douglas
  9. Kelly Preston
  10. Bobby Ball

Lyrics

BGUK_1974444 - Los Angeles, - Kylie Jenner makes an appearance in Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's 'WAP' music video --------- *BACKGRID DOES NOT CLAIM ANY COPYRIGHT OR LICENSE IN THE ATTACHED MATERIAL. ANY DOWNLOADING FEES CHARGED BY BACKGRID ARE FOR BACKGRID'S SERVICES ONLY, AND DO NOT, NOR ARE THEY INTENDED TO, CONVEY TO THE USER ANY COPYRIGHT OR LICENSE IN THE MATERIAL. BY PUBLISHING THIS MATERIAL , THE USER EXPRESSLY AGREES TO INDEMNIFY AND TO HOLD BACKGRID HARMLESS FROM ANY CLAIMS, DEMANDS, OR CAUSES OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR CONNECTED IN ANY WAY WITH USER'S PUBLICATION OF THE MATERIAL* Pictured: Kylie Jenner - Cardi B - Megan Thee Stallion BACKGRID UK 7 AUGUST 2020 UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com *UK Clients - Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
WAP lyrics were the most searched for in 2020 (Credits: BACKGRID)
  1. WAP lyrics
  2. We’ll Meet Again lyrics
  3. Godzilla lyrics
  4. The Box lyrics
  5. Rule Britannia lyrics
  6. Dance Monkey lyrics
  7. No Time To Die lyrics
  8. Break My Stride lyrics
  9. Land Of Hope And Glory lyrics
  10. Savage Love lyrics

Movies

George Mackay as Schofield in the film 1917
In film 1917, Sam Mendes opted to stay historically accurate and have Sikh soldiers fight alongside the British (Picture: Universal)
  1. 1917
  2. Parasite
  3. The Gentlemen
  4. Lion
  5. Jojo Rabbit
  6. 365 Days
  7. Tenet
  8. Enola Holmes
  9. Little Women
  10. The Nest

News Events

US President Donald Trump claps as he arrives for a rally to support Republican Senate candidates at Valdosta Regional Airport in Valdosta, Georgia on December 5, 2020. - President Donald Trump ventures out of Washington on Saturday for his first political appearance since his election defeat to Joe Biden, campaigning in Georgia where two run-off races will decide the fate of the US Senate. (Photo by Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump claps as he arrives for a rally to support Republican Senate candidates at Valdosta Regional Airport in Valdosta, Georgia on December 5, 2020. (AFP)
  1. US election
  2. George Floyd
  3. Madeleine McCann
  4. VE Day
  5. Captain Tom
  6. Iran
  7. Trump vs Biden
  8. Ghislaine Maxwell
  9. Storm Ciara
  10. Kanye West

Recipes

Freshly baked organic seed bread in a girl's hands
Baking bread – what we spent lockdown doing (Credits: Getty Images)
  1. Bread recipe
  2. Beef bourguignon recipe
  3. School cake recipe
  4. KFC recipe
  5. White bread recipe
  6. American pancakes recipe
  7. Wagamama katsu curry recipe
  8. Sourdough starter recipe
  9. IKEA meatball recipe
  10. Soda bread recipe

Sports

Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Premier League
We were all happy that football came back in June. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
  1. Premier League
  2. Champions League
  3. NBA
  4. Arsenal transfer news
  5. IPL
  6. England vs West Indies
  7. England vs South Africa
  8. Bruno Fernandes
  9. England vs Pakistan
  10. Masters leaderboard

TV Shows

Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling
Love Island was postponed this year due to the pandemic (Picture: ITV/Getty)
  1. Love Island
  2. Dennis Nilsen
  3. White House Farm
  4. Normal People
  5. The Stranger
  6. Tiger King
  7. The Fall
  8. Christine Keeler
  9. The Undoing
  10. Gangs Of London

What is…?

EMBARGOED TO 0001 SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7 Undated handout photo issued by the Royal British Legion of Captain Sir Tom Moore backstage at The Royal British Legion's Festival of Remembrance at The Royal Albert Hall, which will be broadcast on BBC One on Saturday. PA Photo. Issue date: Saturday November 7, 2020. This year's Festival of Remembrance will mark the 75th Anniversary of VE Day and VJ Day and the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain and will also acknowledge and reflect on the impact of Covid-19 this year, showing the work of today's Armed Forces who have stood alongside key workers in the fight against Coronavirus. Photo credit should read: Mark Allan/The Royal British Legion/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
VE Day is on May 8th (Credits: PA)
  1. What is VE day?
  2. What time is Boris Johnson’s speech today?
  3. What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
  4. What time is Fury vs Wilder?
  5. What is coronavirus?
  6. What tier am I in?
  7. What does woke mean?
  8. What does WAP mean?
  9. What is a pandemic?
  10. What does furlough mean?

When…?

Handout photo issued by 10 Downing Street of Prime Minister Boris Johnson outside 10 Downing Street in London as he joins in the applause to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers to recognise and support NHS workers and carers fighting the coronavirus pandemic. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday April 30, 2020. See PA story HEALTH Coronavirus. Photo credit should read: Andrew Parsons/10 Downing Street/Crown Copyright/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson outside 10 Downing Street in London as he joins in the applause to salute local heroes during the nationwide Clap for Carers (Credits: PA)
  1. When will lockdown end?
  2. When will gyms reopen?
  3. When does lockdown start?
  4. When will schools reopen?
  5. When does furlough end?
  6. When will pubs reopen?
  7. When does Eat Out to Help Out end?
  8. When will the new president be announced?
  9. When does Love Island start?
  10. When will hairdressers open?

Who is…?

(FILES) In this file photo taken on August 27, 2018, US President Donald Trump listens during a phone conversation with Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto on trade, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC. - Firing the US election security chief and pressuring local officials to throw out valid votes, President Donald Trump and his Republicans are making desperate -- though likely futile -- attempts to invalidate Democrat Joe Biden's election win. Trump showed no sign on November 18, 2020 of letting up on his campaign to challenge results of the November 3 vote that only he and his staunchest supporters refuse to accept. Two weeks after Election Day -- with Biden's win recognized around the world, and his team hard at work preparing to assume office -- Trump appears convinced he can sow enough doubt to delay or even prevent the Democrat from being officially certified as the winner. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Not everyone was happy with the election result (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
  1. Who won the election?
  2. Who is the president of America?
  3. Who are key workers?
  4. Who did Zara cheat on Sam with?
  5. Who is Carole Baskin?
  6. Who killed Graham?
  7. Who was George Floyd?
  8. Who is Mabel’s mum?
  9. Who is Joe Biden?
  10. Who dies in Eastenders?