Acun Ilıcalı was born in 1969 in Edirne, Turkey to a family originating from Erzurum. He lost his parents after the birth of his first child and later divorced his first wife. He completed his education in Istanbul and studied at Gazi University but dropped out. He started his career in television with help from a friend as a sports reporter and eventually founded his own production company, Acun Medya, in 2004. Through Acun Medya, he has produced and hosted many popular television shows in Turkey. Today, he is a very famous and successful television personality and producer.