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The Most Googled Person In The UK Has Been Announced & The Answer Makes Total Sense

by Emily Dixon
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It's been quite the year for Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, with a royal wedding, several royal engagements, and a baby announcement all within the space of 12 months. Little wonder, then, that Meghan Markle was the most Googled person in the UK in 2018, as the BBC reports — and the top two news event trends? "Royal wedding" and "royal baby." It's a more than deserved title for Meghan: after all, who else has commanded national (and international) fascination quite like the new Duchess?

"Meghan Markle" was also the second most Googled term overall in the UK, only pipped to the post by "World Cup". In third place was "royal wedding," followed by the record-breaking movie Black Panther, which became the highest grossing film at the U.S. box office and made a vital move for representation in Hollywood with its predominantly black cast and black director, Ryan Coogler.

So who followed Meghan in the nation's "most Googled person" rankings? In second place was Roxanne Pallett, whose time in the Celebrity Big Brother house sparked controversy after she alleged she was punched by housemate Ryan Thomas, an allegation she subsequently retracted. Next up was Demi Lovato, who was hospitalised in July after a suspected overdose. And in fourth place was Ant McPartlin, who took a break from his TV hosting roles to focus on his recovery from addiction.

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Relatedly, I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, in which Holly Willoughby stood in for McPartlin, was the most Googled TV show in the UK. Next up was Killing Eve, which recently earned lead Sandra Oh a Golden Globe nomination, as well as a historic Emmy nod as the first Asian actor to be nominated for Lead Actress in a Drama. In third place was Bodyguard, which became the most watched BBC drama in a decade.

Back to Meghan Markle: how has she made headlines since her pregnancy announcement in October? Well, there was her tour with husband Prince Harry, in which the royals visited Australia, Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand. There was her Royal Variety Performance debut in November, at which Meghan sang "God Save the Queen" alongside Prince Harry and others (and also met Take That).

Last month, the royal couple announced their impending move from Kensington Palace to Frogmore Cottage, on the grounds of Windsor Castle; the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will move in early 2019, the BBC reports, ahead of Meghan spring due date. And earlier this month, Michelle Obama offered some words of advice to Meghan, telling Good Housekeeping, "Like me, Meghan probably never dreamt that she’d have a life like this, and the pressure you feel — from yourself and from others — can sometimes feel like a lot." She added, "So my biggest piece of advice would be to take some time and don’t be in a hurry to do anything."

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Just this week, Meghan made the news after her appearance at the British Fashion Awards, as the BBC reports. She presented Givenchy's Clare Waight Keller, who designed her wedding dress, with the womenswear designer of the year award. All that in just a few months — could the most Googled person have been anyone else?