Biography: Howard Ebison

Howard Ebison aged 24 was born in Surrey and is the area manager for 10 pubs. he went to therfield School, a mixed comprehensive in Leatherhead Surrey. A school news bulletin from Dec 2000 mentions that he got a silver award in the school's maths challenge for sixth formers. Highly educated, he has a BSc (Hons) in Maths and Business Studies and is a part qualified accountant. He now lives in Derby. He is interested in dance and has won awards in it. 

In the BBC blurb released before the show, he describes himself as "family orientated", but press reports say that he is "openly gay" and in a serious relationship with a man ten years older than him. Thus "family orientated" probably means that he believes in commitment and gay marriage. Sit Alan was reported to be "not bothered" by reports that Howard was gay.

He was team leader in the first episode and clashed with fellow contestant Philip Taylor, who ignored his instructions not to do the interiors of cars in their car cleaning task. Howard turned out to be right, it was a time waster, and the boys only won because the girls over spent.

In the second task, he was taken into the boardroom by Rocky Andrews. Rocky had lost the task party because he was misled by Howard as to how to price things in the south. But Howard declared that Sir Alan should fire Rocky as he has brought the wrong two people into the boardroom with him. Sir Alan agreed with him and Rocky went.

Howard Ebison is a shrewd and cool character, and is the most promising of the contenders among the boys to win. It's probably going to be a race between him and Yasmina Siadatan. 

Update 21st April 2009 There seems to be a homophobic row brewing between Howard Ebison and fellow contestant Mona Lewis. She allegedly told Howard that she wouldn't want her 6 year old son to meet a hay man.

Update 5th May 2009. The Star has revealed that Howard Ebison has a ruthless streak.  When he became area manager for Mitchells and Butlers, the pub chain, he turned the underperforming pubs round by sacking pub managers whose takings were below par. Eyebrows were raised at his methods, but the pubs did turn round in profitability.

Update 27th May 2009. Howard got fired! He put himself up as team leader, but when selling a chip fryer with Lorraine, they made a bad job of it. I think he that he went because he has been keeping a rather low profle in the series so far and Sir Alan decided he was too cautious to hire.

Update 30th May 2009 Howard has informed the press that he plans to teach business skills to kids in future rather than continue working in a pub chain.