Nefise Karatay

Nefise Karatay — Biography

Nefise Karatay is a Turkish actress, television presenter and former model born on 26 April 1976 in the German state of Hesse. Her father, Orhan Karatay (1931-2013), was a ship captain who later ran a small business in Gökçeada during retirement.

Karatay began her career in 1997 by hosting a music program on Number One TV, and the same year placed second in a beauty pageant organized by InterStar, after which she launched a professional modeling career. She appeared in the 1998 music video for Hakan Peker's song "Bir Efsane," and became widely known for her role as Ahu Toros in the 2007-2008 television series Kurtlar Vadisi Pusu. She has also worked as a television host, presenting the program Hayat Güzeldir on Star TV.

Karatay married Yusuf Day in 2012, and their daughter Maya was born in 2015. In 2026 she competed on the reality show Survivor, where she was eliminated shortly before the finale; she subsequently drew media attention for a post-show image makeover and for appearing on social media alongside her now-teenage daughter.