As she declared in an interview, a neighbour told her mother that an agency was recruiting a blonde child with blue eyes for an advertisement of the "Panettone Galbusera"; Daniela brought Blasi to the casting, and she was selected for her first job.

In that period she did testimonials for various advertisers, like the one for the oil "Cuore" with her whole family, "Cicciobello" doll, "Renault" cars and "Barilla Group", "Galbusera", "Findus", "Balocco" and "Sanson" (food).

At the end of the 1990s Blasi tried different approaches to get back into show business; she worked as a model for the photo stories done by the "Lancio" publishing house, she posed nude for a few photoshoots and walked the runways for some of the fashion agencies in Rome, she joined a comedy at the Testaccio theatre in Rome, and competed in the Miss Italia pageant in 1998, with the number 22 at the age of 17 wearing the belt of "Miss Cinema Lazio".

As Blasi wanted to continue to work in TV, after two years spent participating in many castings, all with a negative response, she decided to make a last attempt.

Ilary Blasi finally began her real TV career on 10 September 2001, debuting in Passaparola as one of the six members of the dance troupe, called "Letterine" (which means "little letters" as the show is about word games).

During the 2002/2003 edition Blasi was in her second season as a Letterina as was Alessia Ventura, and they were joined by Federica Villani, Cosmanna Ardillo, Francesca Lodo and Morena Salvino.

Once the experience as a Letterina was over in June 2003, moved to the channel "Rai2" to host the summer edition of the musical format "Top of the pop" together with Alvin, touring between the cities of Diamante, Cagliari and Tempio Pausania and presenting two shows per week (Saturday at 2pm and Thursday at 10:40 pm).

In the show, on-air from Friday to Sunday, Blasi was committed to introducing the connection with the various correspondents, presenting the special guests in the studio and reading the weather forecast at the end of the episode.

At the end of March 2004, the lingerie brand Emmecì chose her as the model for the "Malandrina" collection and she appeared in the catalogue dressed only with bras, strings and thongs.

From 2010 she is the testimonial of the jewelry chain Stroili oro, she inaugurate two flagship stores in Milan and Rome promoting the launch of the new silver and golden tattoos created by the company.