Revealed: How Peaky Blinders Fever has Gripped the Nation
As Peaky Blinders returns to our screens, we look at Google data to find out just how popular the show really is.
Who is the most popular family member? Which episode got viewers searching for answers? Which season generated the most interest? Read on and find out.
The main Peaky Blinders stats
It will come as no surprise that Peaky Blinders fans have been searching for the crime drama in their masses.
In the last 12 months, there has been a total of 903,600 searches for a Peaky Blinders-related query in the UK. That’s 2,476 searches every day – or one search every 35 seconds.
The thirst for the new season has remained strong over the last year, with 2,476 daily Peaky Blinders-related searches. We’re sure that searches for Tommy and co will only grow as the new season return.
Tommy ‘Searched For’ Shelby
One person every three minutes searched for Tommy Shelby over the past 12 months, with a huge total of 166,100 searches. Without a doubt, Tommy can be crowned the most popular Shelby – but would you expect anything less?
With Cillian Murphy’s character absent from our TV screens, the general public took to finding out about his iconic outfits to get their fix. Combined searches for the terms ‘peaky blinders suit’ and ‘peaky blinders outfit’ reached heights of 20,000 searches over the last 12 months – around two searches every hour.
Which Peaky Blinders season is the most popular?
Over six seasons, Peaky Blinders has ascended to the top of the viewing figures, and its final season is set to be more popular than ever. But which season is the most popular when it comes to searches?
We have ranked the searches for each season below. The most interesting fact is that searches for the final season of Peaky Blinders are a staggering nine times higher than the next most searched for season.
Which season is your favourite?
Which episode of Peaky Blinders is the most popular?
Over the years, there have been many memorable Peaky Blinders moments, but which episode is the most searched for?
Let’s break it down episode-by-episode. We will keep each overview brief, but there may be some spoilers for those who aren’t regular viewers of the show.
Season 5, Episode 6
‘Mr Jones’ is the most searched for episode of Peaky Blinders, with an average of 1,300 people searching for the season finale every month. Since this was the last nugget of the show since the hiatus, it is no surprise that this is the most searched for episode of Peaky Blinders.
In this episode, Tommy revealed his plans for Oswald Mosley during a family meeting, with then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill finding out about Tommy’s recent activities. But viewers were left on tenterhooks as the episode’s final image featured Tommy holding a gun to his head with the hallucinations of his wife Grace encompassing him.
Season 1, Episode 1
With a monthly average of 720 searches over the last 12 months, the debut episode of Peaky Blinders comes in second place. It kicks off with Tommy and a crate of missing guns – what could go wrong? Tommy also tries to fix a horse race, and we fall into the love story of Ada and Freddie. The original air date for this episode was 12th September 2013 – almost an entire decade ago.
Season 3, Episode 1
Another season-opening episode makes the list, with Season 3, Episode 1 taking third place. On average, this episode receives 590 searches per month – and with good reason. This episode is none other than Tommy Shelby’s wedding day, and it wouldn’t be a Shelby wedding without a bit of bloodshed.
Eagle-eyed viewers will notice a mistake with this episode, as Tommy drives a 1928 Bentley, even though the episode is supposed to be set in 1924.
Season 5, Episode 5
In fourth position is Season 5, Episode 5 entitled ‘The Shock’, with an average search of 480 per month. Ending in a bang, this tense episode was the perfect set-up for the season 5 finale and featured betrayal, violence, and lots of gunshots.
Season 3, Episode 4
The Shelby women are officially on strike; you heard it! Season 3, Episode 4, sees these women put their foot down and threaten to go on strike if they are not kept in the loop with the family plans. This comes in as the joint-fourth most popular episode, with 480 searches per month on average.
Who is the most popular guest character on Peaky Blinders?
Over the years, Peaky Blinder has featured some of television’s biggest names as guest stars and launched the careers of several household actors and actresses. But who is the most popular guest character on Peaky Blinders, according to Google searches?
1. Tom Hardy (Alfie Solomons)
If there were ever a series made for Tom Hardy, it would be Peaky Blinders. It is no surprise that Tom Hardy’s character Alfie Solomons is the most searched for character, with a huge 14,800 average monthly searches.
As a Jewish gang leader from London, Alfie Solomons was introduced into the Peaky Blinders Universe in Season 2, Episode 2, and quickly became a fan favourite. He has appeared in every season since his debut and is expected to feature in the final season.
2. Stephen Graham (Unnamed role)
He hasn’t even appeared in the series, yet Liverpool’s finest, Stephen Graham, takes the number two spot. Graham is expected to feature in Season 6 in a role that is yet to be revealed, as announced by the official Peaky Blinders Instagram account.
The term ‘Stephen Graham Peaky Blinders’ has received 2,900 searches per month on average over the last 12 months. Are you excited to see Stephen alongside Tommy in this final season? We can’t believe that it’s taken this long for him to show up.
3. Sam Claflin (Oswald Mosley)
The third most searched for Peaky Blinders guest character is Sam Claflin as Oswald Mosley, with 2,400 average monthly searches. Oswald Mosley has appeared in several episodes throughout the series and is led the fascist movement of the 1930s. Tommy has been closely watching Oswald throughout Season 5, and we expect the two rivals to be reunited in Season 6 for even more drama (and potential bloodshed).
4. Sam Neill (Chester Campbell)
Sam Neill is perhaps best known for his roles in Jurassic Park, but his role in Peaky Blinders as Chester Campbell is arguably scarier than any dinosaur. His vendetta against the Shelby family caused lots of problems for Tommy and his brothers, and he vowed to wipe the “filth” from the city of Birmingham. With an average monthly search volume of 1,900 for Neill’s character, his portrayal clearly still resonates with viewers, despite Neill only appearing in Season 1 and 2.
5. Charlotte Riley (May Carleton)
Taking the 5th most popular spot is Charlotte Riley’s portrayal of May Carleton. Riley’s character appears in Seasons 2, 4 and 5 and is a wealthy widow who trains and owns racehorses. She strikes up a connection with Tommy and looks after his horses.
Riley’s character has an average monthly search of 1,600, and it is unknown if she will appear in the show’s latest season. Riley and Tom Hardy, despite being spouses in the real world, have never appeared alongside one another on Peaky Blinders – is this something we could potentially see in the final season?
6. Adrien Brody (Luca Changretta)
Adrien Brody’s character Luca Changretta makes up the list, with 1,000 searches per month on average for this notable villain.
The Italian-American crime boss was Tommy’s antagonist of Season 4.
Which city is the most obsessed with Peaky Blinders?
Peaky Blinders is set in Birmingham, so it is no surprise that nearly twice as many people searched for ‘Peaky Blinders’ in the city than in Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow over the last 12 months.
In fact, there were 1,686 monthly Peaky Blinders searches in Birmingham, which is around 55 every day!
London came out on top with 110,810 Google searches for ‘Peaky Blinders’ over the last 12 months. This is around 13 searches every hour. Solomons would be proud of you all.
Bristol is the most obsessed with the Shelby family per capita, as they had the most searches for ‘peaky blinders’ than any other major UK city over the last 12 months.
Peaky Blinders at Cavani
Make sure you are ready for the new season and immerse yourself in the world of Peaky Blinders by exploring the range of Peaky Blinders inspired suits available at Cavani today.
“It is great to see that Peaky Blinders fever has taken over the country. I speak for every fan of the show by saying that I can’t wait to see what Tommy and co have got in store for this new season. I am sure we will all be engrossed right up until the last episode, and the searches for all things Peaky Blinders will only continue to grow.”
– Sukhi Mondair, Managing Director of House of Cavani
Featuring sharp suits that the Shelby family would be proud to wear, you can grab the look, including all of the iconic Peaky Blinders accessories such as the famous flat cap. Check out our guide How To Dress Like A Peaky Blinder, for the full breakdown on achieving the look.