Ben Saunders, the first-ever winner of The Voice of Holland, has been found dead in a recreational lake in the Netherlands at the age of 43.
Saunders was found at Rijkerswoerdse Plassen, a recreational lake near Arnhem, on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
Dutch police confirmed that a body was recovered from the lake at about 1:20 p.m. local time.
Authorities have ruled out foul play, while the cause of death has not been disclosed.
Saunders rose to fame in 2011 after winning the inaugural season of The Voice of Holland, the original version of the global singing competition franchise.
After his music career, Saunders also worked as a tattoo artist and opened a tattoo parlour with his brother, Dean Saunders.
Dean confirmed his brother’s death in an emotional tribute shared on Instagram, describing the loss as an extremely painful experience and saying Ben would remain in his heart forever.
He also described Saunders as his little brother of 43 years and said he would have done anything for him.
