Liar, liar, my house is on fire! Brits extreme lies to get out of video calls revealed

Liar, liar, my house is on fire!  

Dom Joly reveals the “laughable” excuses Brits have used to get themselves out of video calls 

Brits are so fed up with virtual meet ups that a third admit they have made up an excuse to get out of an online gathering, with the average Brit making 21 excuses to dodge virtual meet ups since the first lockdown, 322 days ago. 

The most popular excuses blame loss of internet connection or general tech issues (53%) – with other popular white lies revolving around clashing fictional online engagements (24%) or being in the middle of making or eating food (22%) – whatever the time of day! According to the survey of 2,000 Britons. 

However, some have even gone as far as to lie about their house being on fire, a pet is sick and even that their house has flooded.   

No stranger to awkward onscreen ambushes, writer and comedian Dom Joly has shortlisted and selected some of the most extreme excuses Brits have used to skip screen time with friends and family. The funny man also teamed up with BT to provide Halo 3+ customers, who will no longer be able to blame their broadband for going down, with original material to try for those still looking to skip the next online meet-up. 

Dom Joly’s pick of the top 10 extreme excuses used to get out of online events, as shared by the British public:  

• My house is on fire 
• We have had a power-cut and I cannot stay online 
• My boyfriend is cooking and set the kitchen on fire 
• My laptop has blown up 
• The house is flooded 
• I’ve got food poisoning 
• I’ve not done my hair 
• My pet has been sick 
• I forgot to change the time zone 
• My computer has been hacked 

The findings come as BT launches Halo 3+ with Hybrid Connect, offering customers an unbreakable home connection, meaning excuses around internet connectivity will become a thing of the past. Hybrid Connect monitors your broadband connection, if it notices an issue it automatically switches to an EE 4G connection to ensure busy households keep connected.  

Matt Hughes, Director of Broadband & Home, BT said: “As a nation we are a very polite bunch so we couldn’t resist seeing what excuses Brits have used to get out of yet another video call. It wasn’t a surprise to see many had used the excuse of a bad internet connection but for customers with our new BT Halo 3+ package, which offers an unbreakable connection, we’re sorry but you’ll just have to be more inventive!” 

Dom Joly, Author and Comedian said:  “Like the rest of the UK it seems, I’ve been guilty of avoiding the occasional video call, and admit internet failure has been one of my ‘go-to’ excuses. Other more ‘creative’ excuses I’ve tried – some more successfully than others – include “my pig has chewed through a wire” and “The Cheltenham Tsunami alarm is sounding” However, I’m over the moon that the new research by BT will provide me with an abundance of inspiration moving forward, “my house is on fire” and “I’m in the wrong time zone” are two of my particular favourites.” 

The poll of 2,000 people up and down the UK found that during the nation’s first lockdown the average Brit was taking part in more than 20 video calls with their friends and family. But it seems fatigue is setting in with over a third admitting it’s just not how they want to spend their free time. Despite this, a flurry of virtual events continue, with only 30 per cent saying they receive fewer invitations than the first lockdown. 

Why are so many of us trying to get out of out of video calls? Top five frustrations of virtual meet ups include people talking over each other (31%) not being able to hear people properly (27%) missing the connection you feel when you meet up in person (26%), having to stare at a screen (22%) and not happy about how they look on screen (22%). 

People being distracted/not interested (30%) remain the most uncomfortable thing to happen during a virtual meeting; followed by people freezing on the call (26%), someone in the background not realising they can be seen/heard (25%), someone doing something without realising they’re live (24%) or people saying things thinking they’re on mute when they’re not (22%). 

BT Halo 3+ and Hybrid Connect are available from BT from the 5^th February and offer the UK’s only unbreakable wi-fi connection for the home. To find out more about BT Halo from BT, including full terms and conditions visit: www.BT.com/Halo3.