The most popular internet searches in the UK focus on 1990s icons such as Madonna, Barbie and Michael Jackson, according to a new survey.

Results from MSN Search's Top 10 Trends Barometer indicated that stars of the 1980s and 1990s were the most popular search engine topics in 2002.

Britney Spears was the UK's most searched for celebrity for the second year running while Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child, Britney's 'face of Pepsi' replacement, failed to make it into the top 100.

It appears that once we love them we find it hard to let them go Robin Kellett MSN

The survey showed the most popular musicians searched for have been on the UK music scene since the 1990s including Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue and Westlife.

The MSN search engine registered 12.7 million users in the month ending in November.

It showed that while "overnight" celebrities Kelly Osbourne, Darius, Jennifer Lopez, Jade, Halle Berry and Holly Valance may have dominated the headlines in 2002, they have been overshadowed in the search stakes by "old timers".

Holly Valance scraped into the top 100 most-searched-for items for 2002, coming in at number 81, 58 positions behind train timetables, 42 positions behind Bob the Builder and 19 positions behind the National Trust.

TV tops

The latest toys, including Micropets, PlayStations and Pino robots, were knocked off the top 10 by old favourites Barbie, Action Man, Lego, Winnie the Pooh, chess sets and Thomas the Tank Engine.

EastEnders, Neighbours, Coronation Street, Friends and Top of the Pops all made it into the year's top 10 TV shows.

Barbie searched beat PlayStations

2002 programmes such as The Office, I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!, Six Feet Under and What not to Wear all failed to make it in the list.

The most searched for holiday destinations were Blackpool, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Cornwall - all beat Ibiza and Majorca in the top 100 and left cities like Leeds, Manchester, Brighton and Edinburgh trailing.

MSN search manager Robin Kellett said: "Our 2002 trends barometer proves what we've always suspected - the Brits are a pretty conservative bunch.

"As a nation we're very loyal - TV programmes, celebrities, toys and music acts become national institutions and it appears that once we love them we find it hard to let them go."