Bojan Ilievski recalls Saša Popović’s words that stayed with him — even Ceca cried

Bojan Ilievski, who won the latest season of Zvezde Granda this year, revisited one of the most emotional moments from his early participation while speaking on the talk show "Kafe Muabeti".

During his interview the young singer recalled competing when Saša Popović was still leading the program and being on the team of his mentor Svetlana "Ceca" Ražnatović. He said a scene in which his grandmother revealed that he had no parents remains unforgettable and left the audience and his mentor visibly moved.

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Popović, Bojan remembered, reassured him that Zvezde Granda is like a big family and that the production would stand behind him — words that carried weight for the contestant at the time and stayed with him afterwards.

Bojan also used the conversation to speak openly about hard episodes from his life, including a struggle with gambling that he says he has overcome. He told viewers: "That was a long time ago; I left it behind. I promised my mentor, but above all myself, that I will never repeat those things in life. You have to move forward, no matter what happened. As long as a person is alive, they can change things."

He added that the hardest period for him began after the death of his mother, which left him disillusioned and out of work for more than a year. "All of that happened in 2021," he said, describing how that loss affected his life and career path.

Despite those setbacks, Bojan completed his formal and musical education — including studies at an academy in Slovenia — and now says he is focused on building a professional music career across the region.

Photo: press material from the event