A chance meeting with a famous sports commentator changed his life and led to him working as a sports reporter on a Turkish channel, Show TV.
After succeeding in that role, he started his own travel show, Acun Firarda, or Acun on the Run, where his popularity started to grow.
In 2004, he formed his own television production company, Acun Medya. The company bought the rights to several high-profile shows such as Masterchef and Deal or No Deal. It also launched Turkey’s Got Talent, on which he served as one of the judges.
Ilicali says he has met Simon Cowell three times.
“He’s a very nice guy and very intelligent. The format belongs to [Cowell], we met about how we can improve the format. We met in Cannes, one time in England.
“When they call me ‘Simon Cowell’, I’m never disturbed by it. He’s a good guy and a very good name. My business part is completely different than my on-stage part, we have a big production company, but on stage I can say I’m the Simon Cowell of Turkey, it’s no problem.”
Success brought access to global stars including Christina Aguilera, 50 Cent and Bruce Willis, who appeared on his programmes for charity.