Ben Saunders, the first-ever winner of The Voice franchise, has died at 43. The Dutch singer was found dead in a lake in the Netherlands on September 15, 2026. Saunders rose to fame after winning the inaugural season of The Voice of Holland in 2011.
According to reports from De Telegraaf and Dutch News, authorities discovered Saunders’ body at Rijkerswoerdse Plassen, a lake near Arnhem. Police recovered his body from the water at around 1:20 p.m. local time after someone reported him missing earlier that day. Police have ruled out foul play, but authorities have not revealed his cause of death.
Saunders was born in London in 1983 and began his music career before The Voice of Holland. He and his brother Dean Saunders were members of the group Follow That Dream in the early 2000s. The brothers also performed together as The Brothers in the Netherlands’ Eurovision selection.
In 2010, Saunders auditioned for the first season of The Voice of Holland with Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody.” He joined coach Roel van Velzen’s team and advanced to the finale. Saunders ultimately won the competition in January 2011, becoming the first champion in The Voice franchise.
The victory launched a successful solo career for Saunders. His debut album, You Thought You Knew Me By Now, arrived in 2011 and reached No. 1 in the Netherlands. He followed it with Heart & Soul in 2012. He also received several music honors, including the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Dutch Act.
Saunders later moved into tattoo artistry and opened Tattoo Saunders with his brother. He also made television appearances in later years, including an appearance on the Dutch SBS6 talent show Avastars in 2023.
His brother Dean shared the news of Saunders’ death in an emotional Instagram post. Dean wrote, “My dear little brother has passed away.” He added that he had never experienced such pain and said, “Ben is in my heart and he will stay there forever.”
News of Saunders’ death has prompted tributes from people who knew him and from fans who followed his career. Former The Voice of Holland coach Marco Borsato also paid tribute to Saunders on Instagram, sharing a photo and a video of the singer.
Mandatory offers our heartfelt condolences to the family during this difficult time.
