Buzzworthy pastime? Celebrities help make beekeeping hot new hobby

By Martin Winter via SWNS

Beekeeping is one of the hottest hobby trends of 2024 thanks to a host of celebrity fans, according to a study.

Stars creating a buzz around the pastime include David Beckham, Beyoncé and Scarlett Johansson.

Other emerging hobbies for the year ahead include origami, collecting ‘old technology’ like CDs and foraging for snacks in the wild.

The study, of 2,000 adults, found 47 percent are looking for more unusual pastimes, with bee-enthusiasts Beckham and Johansson, and Olympic diver Tom Daley - who loves to knit - voted the most inspiring celebrity hobbyists.

Open mic poetry, arranging flowers and geocaching - a kind of treasure hunt where GPS devices help to find hidden containers called geocaches - also featured in the top 25 activities.

While 49 percent will opt out of more sedentary hobbies like reading or blogging in favor of ones that get them outdoors and moving.

And half get enjoyment from pastimes that are in some way good for the environment - like creating bug ‘hotels’ in their gardens.

The study was commissioned by Sky ahead of today's (Fri) release of The Beekeeper, starring Jason Statham, which tells the story of one man's brutal campaign for vengeance after it's revealed he's a former operative of a powerful and clandestine organization - known as Beekeepers.

The film’s director, David Ayer, said: “It’s good to see people are up for trying new things in 2024.

“I’m not surprised there’s so much buzz around beekeeping, and I’m hoping our film will only enhance that.

“We did it for real on the set, and Jason Statham genuinely learned how to open a hive and work with the bees.

“Always one to immerse himself in a movie, he really connected with the whole zen of beekeeping, which was quite therapeutic between all the grueling action sequences.”

The study also found 58 percent of those who like hobbies that get them outdoors believe these are good for their mental health.

While 47 percent like the idea of getting a bit fitter, and 37 percent find it helps connect them more to the natural world.

And 71 percent believe that if more people found hobbies that benefit other people or the environment, the world would be a better place.

The study, via OnePoll, also found that 14 percent have found hobby inspiration from a movie.

Julia Stuart, director of original film at Sky, said: “Could 2024 be the year that beekeeping becomes cool?

“With the likes of David Beckham, Scarlett Johansson and of course now Jason Statham, taking a liking to this exciting hobby, it’s the start of a wonderful relationship with nature."

TOP 20 MOST INSPIRING CELEBRITY HOBBYISTS

1. David Beckham – Beekeeping
2. Tom Daley – Knitting
3. Scarlett Johansson - Beekeeping
4. Rod Stewart – Model railways
5. Beyoncé Knowles – Beekeeping
6. Sting – Beekeeping
7. Julia Roberts – Knitting
8. Brad Pitt – Pottery
9. Richard Branson – Chess
10. Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers – Beekeeping
11. Nicole Kidman – Skydiving
12. Mike Tyson – Pigeon racing
13. Henry Cavill – Warhammer
14. Will Smith – Fencing
15. Francis Bourgeois – Trainspotting
16. Bill Gates – Plays Bridge
17. Angelina Jolie – Collects weapons
18. Elton John – Collects sunglasses
19. Claudia Schiffer – Collects insects
20. Susan Sarandon – Ping Pong

TOP 25 PASTIMES BRITS WANT TO TRY OUT IN 2024:

1. Bee boxes (keeping or collecting boxes in which bees can take shelter when not in the hive)
2. Upcycling
3. Pottery
4. Creative writing
5. Dance
6. Bug ‘hotels’ – (keeping ‘insect hotels’ – small, artificial buildings that serve as long-term lodging or a winter hibernation habitat for crawling and flying insects.)
7. Flower arranging
8. Knitting or crochet
9. Sewing/clothes making
10. Board games like chess or backgammon
11. Gardening
12. Foraging
13. Collecting antiques
14. Beekeeping
15. Bouldering/rock climbing
16. Coin collecting
17. Geocaching (treasure hunt in which people use GPS devices to find hidden containers called geocaches)
18. Origami
19. Collecting old technology
20. Tabletop games, like Warhammer
21. Stone skipping or skimming
22. Tapestry
23. Stand-up comedy
24. Open mic poetry reading
25. Parkour