Britney Spears Is Most Searched For Subject By British Web Users, Yahoo! Claims

Britney Spears is the UK's most searched-for subject on the internet, Yahoo! claims.

Interest in the troubled pop star propelled her to first place in the website's list of the top 10 searches for 2008.

Her profile seems only to have grown even as she became known more for her turbulent private life than her music.

She is now attempting a comeback as she releases her sixth studio album, called Circus.

The UK's other interests over the past year have been similarly showbiz-focused, with all top five positions filled by pop culture phenomena: the TV shows Big Brother and X Factor, the rock band Oasis, and Disney's multimedia hit High School Musical 3.

The enthusiasm for entertainment left the only news story in the top 10, the US election, in sixth place.

The real-life dramas of Amy Winehouse and Kate Moss also captured the public's imagination, but just one male celebrity featured in the list - the actor Heath Ledger, who died suddenly in January.

Oasis' inclusion in the list may be explained by the loyalty of their fans who spent much of this year looking forward to their seventh studio album, Dig Out Your Soul.

Kristof Fahy of Yahoo! Europe said: "It is fascinating to look back over the last year and see the stories, personalities and subjects that have captured our imagination, some of which are almost distant memories now, and some of which continue to be the hot topics of today."

:: The Yahoo! Top 10 Searches of 2008:

01. Britney Spears
02. Big Brother
03. X Factor
04. Oasis
05. High School Musical 3
06. US election
07. Amy Winehouse
08. Heath Ledger
09. Kate Moss
10. EastEnders

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk