Current Google Insights trends: Balloon boy, January Jones, Miyabi

Tuesday 20 October 2009 00:00 BST

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"Balloon boy" is the most searched for topic on Google on October 20 at 8:30 AM GMT.

In a reminder that not everything you see and hear is true -- even when it is covered by international TV news stations -- the story of "balloon boy" is coming to an ugly conclusion.

People across the world were transfixed in front of their TV screens on October 15 when six-year-old Falcon Heene reportedly climbed into his family's experimental helium balloon before it was launched into the air. Images of the silver blimp flying through the sky had viewers holding their breath and sent authorities into a panic as they desperately tried to rescue the stranded child.

After a lengthy search, Falcon Heene was finally found, not scared or traumatized from his ride in the balloon, but hiding in a cardboard box in the family attic.

People first started suspecting the stunt may have been a hoax carried out by the family for publicity (the Heene family were previously featured on a reality TV show called 'Wife Swap') after the family took part in a video interview on CNN.

When the interviewer asked the boy why he didn't come down from the attic when he heard his parents calling, Falcon Heene looked at his parents and replied, "Um...you guys said we did this for the show."

Searches for the name of American Pie and Mad Men actress January Jones have increased over the last week. People in the US and Canada are searching for information about the actress after claims the star's breasts were "airbrushed up a few cup sizes" for the cover of GQ.

The search terms with the most significant growth worldwide within the last seven days as measured by Google Insights, recorded on October 20 at 8:30 AM GMT are:

1. balloon boy (Breakout)
2. january jones (+600%)
3. miyabi (+200%)
4. people magazine (+100%)
5. ???? (+90%) (Chinese for "Grass pomegranate Community" - a free adult community forum)
6. lockerz (+70%)
7. livescore (+50%)
8. maçkolik (+40%)

*Breakout defines a search term that has experienced a change in growth greater than 5000 percent.

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Current Google Insights trends: Balloon boy, January Jones, Miyabi