Welcome to Unstyled. I'm your host, Christine Barberick, co-founder and global editor-in-chief of Refinery 29.

Each week, I invite a notable person to come in and talk with us as we explore the funny, inspiring,

sometimes heartbreaking tales of life, work, and love, as told through the things that we wear.

In 2015, Samantha B's name made headlines across the country. After 12 years as the longest serving correspondent on the Daily Show, she was the presumed heiress to John Stewart's throne.

But she didn't get the gig, and it was a shock to everyone, except Samantha herself.

Bruised but undaunted, she set out to stake her own claim in the comedy world,

making right on what never was.

And today, Samantha B is not just the first woman leading late night comedy. She is the only one. Surprisingly, it's an honor

that Sam doesn't really relish. Diversity and inclusion are bone-deep values of both she and her show,

full frontal with Samantha B. When staffing the writers' room, Samantha and her showrunner,

created a refreshing blind application process to open the door to talent of all backgrounds

and experience levels.

The result was a staff of 50% women and 30% writers of color, utterly unheard of in TV comedy.

Since 2016, Samantha and her team have continued to shatter boundaries and press buttons,

while at the same time doing exactly what political satire is supposed to do.

Tell the hard truths, but make it funny, somehow.

That job has only gotten harder over the course of Samantha's nearly 20-year television

career, the last three in particular. Yet she's never faltered, even in the face of vicious

misogynistic attacks. At one point, she set up a rape threat line for all the trolls flooding

her DMs and mailroom with threats of violence in response to her

sharp political critique. She continues to call out both the president and his policies, using her

platform to vigorously support the most vulnerable people and at-risk causes. Abortion rights,

...