ain bridge , ▁A . ▁S . ▁By att , ▁and ▁Bill ▁B uf ord . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁he ▁was ▁nominated ▁by ▁Gr anta ▁magazine ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 ▁" Best ▁Young ▁British ▁Nov el ists ". ▁Con vers ely , ▁Self ' s ▁second ▁book , ▁My ▁Ide a ▁of ▁Fun , ▁was ▁" m au led " ▁by ▁the ▁critics . ▁ ▁Self ▁joined ▁the ▁Ob server ▁as ▁a ▁column ist ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁He ▁gained ▁negative ▁public ity ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁cover ▁the ▁election ▁campaign ▁of ▁John ▁Major ▁and ▁was ▁caught ▁by ▁a ▁rival ▁journalist ▁using ▁hero in ▁on ▁the ▁Prime ▁Minister ' s ▁jet , ▁and ▁was ▁fired ▁as ▁a ▁result . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁he ▁argued ▁" I ' m ▁a ▁hack ▁who ▁gets ▁h ired ▁because ▁I ▁do ▁dru gs ". ▁He ▁joined ▁the ▁Times ▁as ▁a ▁column ist ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁he ▁left ▁Times ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Independent ▁on ▁Sunday , ▁which ▁he ▁left ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁for ▁the ▁Even ing ▁Standard . ▁ ▁He ▁has ▁made ▁many ▁appearances ▁on ▁British ▁television , ▁especially ▁as ▁a ▁pan ell ist ▁on ▁Have ▁I ▁Got ▁News ▁for ▁You ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁regular ▁on ▁Sho oting ▁Stars . ▁Since ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁Self ▁has ▁appeared ▁five ▁times ▁on ▁Question ▁Time . ▁He ▁stopped ▁appearing