Rotherham among UK’s ‘Grinchiest’ towns, study reveals

The study, by SEO platform Ahrefs, analysed 80 of the most popular seasonal-related keywords, including 'Christmas', 'How many days until Christmas', and 'Christmas movies', with Rotherham ranked sixth on the 'Grinch list' , with 1,827 festive-related searches.

In comparison, Bolton – crowned the UK’s 'most Christmas-obsessed town' – had 10,967 related searches.

The total number of Christmas-related searches for each area was compared against its population to calculate the number of searches per 100,000 inhabitants.

Tim Soulo, chief marketing officer at Ahrefs, said: “It is fascinating to see how interest in the Christmas season varies from city to city in the UK, with some places showing comparatively little interest in Christmas, and some showing incredible enthusiasm for all things Christmas-related, from trees and decorations, to cosy pyjamas and gifts.

“Search interest can offer us powerful insights into festive trends.”