‘The Voice’ Winner Ben Saunders Found Dead in Lake at Age 43 – See Tributes

Martin Holmes September 16, 2026, 9:57 am

What To Know

Ben Saunders, winner of the first season of The Voice of Holland in 2011, was found dead at age 43.
Police recovered a body from a lake near Arnhem, Netherlands, and ruled out foul play.
Saunders’ passing prompted tributes from family and former colleagues.

Ben Saunders, who won the original version of The Voice, has died at 43 years old.

According to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Saunders was found dead on Tuesday (September 15) at the Rijkerswoerdse Plassen, a recreational lake in Elst on the border of Arnhem South in the Netherlands. Police recovered a body from the lake at 1:20 pm local time, per a report from DutchNews.nl.

A cause of death has not yet been confirmed.

Saunders won the first season of The Voice of Holland in 2011, which led to worldwide versions of the show, including the long-running NBC hit.

“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 on Wednesday (September 16). “We do not release or comment on personal details.”

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A post shared by Dean Saunders (@deansaundersjr)

Saunders’ brother, Dean, shared the news of the passing on his Instagram page, writing [according to Instagram’s auto-translate], “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.”

He continued, “Ben had a beautiful family and relatives who love him dearly—and I always will, too… Ben is in my heart, and he will stay there forever.”

Dean, who ran the Tattoo Saunders business with his brother, also shared a message on the company’s Instagram page. “Rest in peace my little brother. Ben Saunders will never be forgotten,” he wrote alongside a recent photo of the siblings.

According to the Netherlands public broadcaster NOS, Dean won the reality show Popstars in 2011, just a day after his brother won The Voice.

The Voice of Holland premiered in 2010 and was the original version of the singing competition franchise that spawned over 150 adaptations worldwide. Saunders became the show’s first-ever winner and, more recently, appeared on the Dutch SBS talent show Avastars in 2023.

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A post shared by Marco Borsato (@borsato)

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Former The Voice of Holland coach Marco Borsato paid tribute on Instagram with a clip of Saunders performing on the show. “Dear, special man—my heart is weeping!” Borsato wrote in a separate post.

“I cannot find words for the void you leave behind. Dear Janita, friends, and family: wishing you so much strength as you cope with this immense loss,” he added, referring to Saunders’ fiancée.