Ben Saunders, First-Ever ‘The Voice’ Winner, Found Dead at 43

Ben Saunders, the singer who made history as the first winner of The Voice of Holland, has died. He was 43.

Saunders was found dead on Tuesday at Rijkerswoerdse Plassen, a recreational lake in Elst near Arnhem in the Netherlands, according to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. Dutch News reported that police recovered a body from the lake at approximately 1:20 p.m. local time.

A cause of death has not been announced. Police have ruled out foul play, the Police Unit East Netherlands confirmed to People on Wednesday (Sept. 16), while declining to provide additional personal details.

News of Saunders’ death was shared by his brother, Dean Saunders, who paid tribute to him on Instagram alongside a throwback photo of the siblings.

“My dear little brother passed away today…I have never felt pain like this before… what a terrible day for all of us… We have to learn to live with this, and I hope it is treated with respect…,” Dean wrote in the translated caption. “Ben had a wonderful family and relatives who love him dearly–and I always will, too… Ben is in my heart, and he will stay there forever.”

For Saunders, his place in television history came in 2011, when he won the inaugural season of The Voice of Holland. The Dutch series, which premiered in 2010, was the first iteration of what would become a global singing-competition franchise, eventually spawning more than 150 adaptations around the world.

Saunders’ victory came just one day before his brother Dean won Popstars in the Netherlands, making for a remarkable stretch of television history for the Saunders family. Ben would later return to Dutch television, appearing on the SBS talent competition Avastars in 2023.

His Voice of Holland family also remembered him following the news. Former coach Marco Borsato shared a clip of Saunders performing “Dochters,” a song originally recorded by Barsato, on Instagram. In another tribute featuring a photo of the two performing together, Borsato wrote in translation, “Dear, special man—my heart is weeping!”

“I cannot find words for the void you leave behind,” Borsato continued, sending his condolences and strength to Saunders’ fianceé, Janita, in addition to his friends and family.

Saunders had most recently been living in Arnhem, according to NOS. He is survived by his family and fianceé.