Winner of first version of ‘The Voice’ found dead at 43

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The first-ever winner of “The Voice of Holland,” Ben Saunders, was found dead at the age of 43.

According to local newspaper De Telegraaf, Saunders was found at the popular recreational lake, Rijkerswoerdse Plassen, in the Netherlands, on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

Police recovered his body from the lake at 1:20 PM local time, DutchNews reported. No cause of death has been revealed.

“We can confirm that a body was found yesterday at a recreational lake of Arnhem and that police have ruled out foul play,” the Police Unit East Netherlands told People Magazine. “We do not release or comment on personal details.”

Ben Saunders performing in Arnhem, Netherlands in May 2011.

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The singer’s older brother, Dean, shared a tribute to Saunders on Instagram, posting a photo of the two of them as children and writing, “I have never experienced pain like what I am feeling right now.”

“My dear little brother passed away today,” he wrote. “What a terrible day for all of us. We have to learn to live with this and I hope this will be handled respectfully… Ben had a beautiful beautiful family and a family that loves him very much and always will .. Ben is in my heart and he will stay there forever ❤️🙏”

He also shared a current photo of the two of them on the brothers’ Tattoo Saunders business Instagram page, writing “Rest in peace my little brother ❤️🙏Ben Saunders will never be forgotten ❤️.”

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Saunders won the first season of “The Voice of Holland” in 2011. The show, which premiered in 2010, went on to become a huge success, inspiring adaptations across the globe, with “The Voice” premiering in the United States in 2011.

Ben Saunders at a soccer match in the Netherlands in September 2025.

Following his time on the show, the British-born Dutch singer released his debut album, “You Thought You Knew Me by Now,” in April 2011, which featured one of his biggest hits, “Kill for a Broken Heart.”

He released a second album in 2012, after which he returned to his previous career as a tattoo artist while still making music.

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Former “The Voice of Holland” coach, Marco Borsato, shared two tributes to Saunders on Instagram, including a video of the singer on the show and a photo of them on stage together.

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“Dear, special man, my heart is crying! I can’t find words for the emptiness you leave behind,” Borsato wrote. “Dear Janita, friends and family, lots of strength in processing this enormous loss.”