Samantha Bee combines politics, comedy

For a late-night comedy show host, Samantha Bee’s midtown Manhattan office is fairly understated. On her desk, however, is one unusual feature: a big bowl of bite-sized chocolate squares with her photo on each wrapper.

“Just what I always wanted,’’ says Bee, “my face on chocolates.’’

After a dozen years on the Emmy Award-winning “The Daily Show’’ and now two years into hosting “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,’’ the Toronto native is no stranger to tributes — edible or otherwise.

Earlier this year, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Hosting “Full Frontal’’ is a dream job, says Bee, combining her twin passions.

“I’m obsessed with the news but I’m also obsessed with comedy,’’ says the 48-year-old. “I’m not super interested in things that are fictional right now. The real world is much more interesting.’’

And what a year of non-fiction it has been. On the floor by her desk is a prop poster depicting failed Alabama senate candidate Roy Moore. It is rendered as an Andy Warhol knock-off, complete with pastel-coloured Campbell’s soup cans.

Bee says Moore’s recent election loss and a crazy year of Trump headlines has been “the best of times, the worst of times, for sure. Nobody’s happy that (Moore) almost won, but we have to allow ourselves to be happy that he didn’t win.’’