Google?s 2021 search list: Bernie Sanders? mittens and Squid Game top the trends

Squid Game, Bernie Sanders' mittens and how to wear skinny jeans were among the most searched for subjects on Google around the world this year, and in the UK the Euros dominated web queries.

The annual search trends list released by Google showed that Squid Game, the bloody South Korean smash hit on Netflix, was the most searched-for TV show, while the knitted gloves worn by Sanders, a former US presidential candidate, at Joe Biden's inauguration ensured that searches for mittens reached a global high in January.

The mitten memes turned into a search hit too, along with, for the more sartorially progressive, the query "how to style straight leg jeans".

Indian cricket fans ensured that their national team featured in the most searched-for overall term in 2021, which was "Australia v India" as a Test series came to a close at the beginning of the year.

In the UK, sport dominated too, with the Euros the top overall search term and the footballer Christian Eriksen, who suffered a mid-game cardiac arrest at the tournament, the most searched-for footballer (and most searched-for athlete globally).

The most numerous "when?" questions in the UK related to "When will lockdown end?", reflecting anxiety over the renewed anti-Covid measures at the start of 2021. Matt Hancock, who resigned as health secretary in June, was the most searched meme in the UK.

The top five overall searches globally were all sport-dominated, with the Australia v India series followed by India v England, IPL [Indian Premier League], NBA and Euro 2021.