The quality of the Skype call depended on the quality of the computer the academic had and the connection at their end. We asked everyone to turn off all other devices connected to the internet in the house. With homes full of school children and partners also working from home, that request was not always welcomed! However it made a significant difference to the technical quality of the call, so all obliged.
People’s homes are not what one would describe as a ‘closed set’. Then there were errant cats, children and husbands wandering in and out to deal with! One conscientious gentleman set up a blue screen studio in his house, only to have the blue background he had so carefully stuck up start peeling off mid interview!