Sultan of the mornings: Seda Sayan and daytime talk shows in Turkey

Abstract

Since the beginning of her career in the 1980s, Seda Sayan has become one of the biggest popular culture icons in Turkey, sustaining a multifaceted career in entertainment that includes singing, acting, and, most influentially, television. Sayan’s career trajectory from wedding singer to the ‘Sultan of the Mornings’ illustrates how the Turkish celebrity industry works, and the evolution of her persona as a talk show host tracks the development of the genre format in Turkey. This article considers Seda Sayan’s daytime talk shows in order to better understand how she built her televisual empire among strong competition to become an exceptional force in Turkish television history. Her shows illustrate identity construction practices over time and have secured her place in Turkish entertainment. Taking this chapter in Sayan’s career as its case study, this article offers a brief introduction to the operations of celebrity culture and contemporary media industries in Turkey.