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Ben Saunders, First Winner of 'The Voice' of Holland, Found Dead at 43
Confirmed
In Short: Ben Saunders, the original winner of The Voice of Holland, was found dead at the age of 43 in a recreational lake near Arnhem, Netherlands.
Ben Saunders, the original winner of The Voice of Holland, was found dead at the age of 43 in a recreational lake near Arnhem, Netherlands, according to local reports.
Saunders, a London-born Dutch singer, won the first season of the Dutch version of The Voice in 2011, becoming the show's first-ever winner. His victory led to the international franchise that inspired NBC's long-running hit The Voice.
Saunders made a significant impression on the judges with his blind audition, performing Kings of Leon's 'Use Somebody,' and went on to reach the final, where he was crowned the first winner with 59 percent of the vote.
The success of The Voice of Holland birthed a global franchise, with versions of the show airing in numerous countries, including the United States.
Saunders was found dead on Tuesday, September 15, at Rijkerswoerdse Plassen, a popular recreational lake in Elst, Netherlands, near Arnhem. The police ruled out foul play, and the cause of death is not yet known.
What's confirmed
- Ben Saunders, Original Winner Of “The Voice,” Found Dead At 43 Jefferson White Brings Back Beloved ‘Yellowstone’ Character For ‘Marshals’ Season 2 on Sep 16, 2026 at 7:14 pm CDT Ben Saunders, the first winner of The Voice of Holland in 2011, has died at the age of 43.
- Saunders was found dead Tuesday (September 15), at Rijkerswoerdse Plassen, a popular recreational lake in Elst, Netherlands, near Arnhem, according to local newspaper De Telegraaf.
- See more DutchNews articles in your Google search results See more DutchNews articles in your Google search results Ben Saunders, the winner of the first edition of TV talent show The Voice of Holland, has been found dead in a recreational lake near Arnhem.
- Ben Saunders, the London-born Dutch singer who won the original version of The Voice, has died at 43.
- "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.
What's still developing
- The outlet reported that Saunders was found during a search for a man with “various tattoos on his head and neck, on his arms and hands.” A cause of death wasn’t immediately revealed, and police ruled out foul play.
- But according to the Grammy winner himself, he won’t be returning for season 15 — and it wasn’t his decision.