‘The Voice of Holland’ Winner Ben Saunders Found Dead at Age 43

The Voice of Holland winner Ben Saunders has sadly passed away at the age of 43. After he was reported missing earlier this week, the singer’s body was reportedly found in the Netherlands. Saunders was the very first winner of any version of The Voice.

The Voice of Holland Winner Ben Saunders Found Dead

According to The Mirror, a search for London-born singer Ben Saunders led to his body being recovered from water at the Rijkerswoerdse Plassen near Arnhem in the Netherlands on Tuesday. Suspicious circumstances have reportedly been ruled out by authorities.

Saunders’ older brother Dean, who won the Dutch talent show Popstars, confirmed his death on Instagram, writing alongside a childhood photo of the two of them, “My dear little brother passed away today… I have never experienced pain like what I am feeling right now.”

In addition to singing, Saunders was also a tattoo artist. He was born in London but moved to the Netherlands with his family as a child. Saunders released two solo albums after winning The Voice of Holland in 2011 — You Thought You Knew Me By Now and Heart & Soul.

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Saunders Was the First Winner of The Voice

Before the format took off in the U.S., the very first version of The Voice aired in the Netherlands from 2010 to 2011. Ben Saunders was the winner of the first season. That means Saunders was the very first winner of any version of The Voice around the world.

For his Blind Audition, Saunders performed a cover of “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon, prompting all four coaches to turn their chairs. He ended up competing on Dutch singer Roel van Velzen’s team and made it all the way to the Finals, where he was crowned the winner.

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Were you familiar with Ben Saunders from his time on The Voice of Holland? Did you follow his career after the show? Let us know in the comments below.