What we’ve been searching for: Rugby tops Clarkson, Cilla and even Susanna Reid

Despite an early exit for hosts England, the tournament was the “most searched term” across all categories in 2015, with the Duchess of Cambridge second and EastEnders in third.

Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson was next on the list, followed by Celebrity Big Brother, Wimbledon 2015 and Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid. The late singer and actress Cilla Black, Caitlyn Jenner and Coronation Street complete the top ten.

Clarkson, who was sacked by the BBC in March over a “fracas” with a producer, topped the table of most-searched-for news story of the year, ahead of Cilla Black and the Labour leadership contest.

Nick Petche, the editor in chief of Yahoo UK said: “Despite England not making it out of the group stages, the UK has been gripped with Rugby World Cup fever this year, as it was the most-searched item on Yahoo in 2015.

“When it comes to sports personalities though, the UK’s affection for tennis and Wimbledon - arguably the most British of sports tournaments - has shone through, with Andy Murray and Serena Williams both chart toppers on the sports superstars list in first and third place.

“Amongst the billions of online searches this year, the Duchess of Cambridge continued to win our hearts as she gave birth to a second royal baby, becoming the most-searched-for celebrity, as well as the second-most-searched term overall.”

Caitlyn Jenner, whose Vanity Fair cover made global headlines and raised the discussion of gender identity to international levels, appears at number five on the most-searched celebrity list, which also features Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian and One Direction.

EastEnders’ place at the top of the TV list, and third in overall searches, was driven by the “who killed Lucy Beale?” storyline which concluded this year. The storyline was also the most-asked question on Yahoo, ahead of “What is Charlie Hebdo?” and “what is the minimum wage?”.

Apple dominated the technology search terms, with the iPhone 6, Apple Watch, Apple TV and iPad Air 2 all making the top 10.