Ben Saunders won the very first season of The Voice of Holland on January 21, 2011 which makes him the first winner of The Voice anywhere in the world. The Dutch show created by John de Mol became the template for the franchise that now runs in dozens of countries, including the United States.
He was found dead on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, in the Rijkerswoerdse Plassen, a recreational lake south of Arnhem in the Netherlands. He was 43.
Saunders was reported missing on Tuesday morning. Police Unit East Netherlands recovered a body from the lake at around 1:20 p.m. local time. His family has confirmed his death.
Ben Saunders, who won the debut season of The Voice of Holland in 2011
Police have ruled out foul play. No cause of death has been disclosed.
His brother’s statement
Dean Saunders, Ben’s older brother and himself a singer, posted a tribute on Instagram alongside a childhood photograph of the two of them.
He wrote that he had <cite index=”13-1″>never experienced pain like this before</cite>, described it as a terrible day for the whole family, and said they would have to learn to live with it. He asked that the matter be treated with respect.
He added that Ben had a family and relatives who loved him deeply, and that his brother would remain in his heart permanently.
The two brothers were unusually close in their careers as well as their lives. Dean won the Dutch version of Popstars on January 22, 2011 one day after Ben won The Voice of Holland.
The audition that started a global franchise
Saunders was born in London on July 9, 1983, to English parents, and grew up in the Dutch town of Hoorn with his brothers Dean and Jamie.
He and Dean began entering talent competitions as teenagers. In 2000 they appeared on RTL 4’s Alles voor de band: Follow that dream and formed the pop group Follow That Dream, whose debut single reached No. 25 on the Dutch Top 40 before the band split in 2001. In 2003 they competed as The Brothers in the Dutch national Eurovision selection with “Stand As One,” finishing seventh.
His breakthrough came in 2010. For his blind audition on the debut season of The Voice of Holland, he sang Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody.” All four coaches turned.
He joined Roel van Velzen’s team and reached the final, where he won with 59 percent of the public vote, ahead of runner-up Pearl Jozefzoon. The season had aired on RTL 4 from September 2010, with Jeroen van der Boom, Angela Groothuizen, Nick & Simon, and van Velzen as coaches.
That season’s success is why The Voice exists internationally. The format was sold worldwide, and The Voice premiered in the United States on NBC just three months after Saunders won.
What he did next
His victory single, “Kill for a Broken Heart,” reached No. 4 on the Dutch Top 40 and No. 1 on the Single Top 100.
His debut album, You Thought You Knew Me By Now, entered the Dutch Album Top 100 at No. 1 in April 2011. He followed it with Heart & Soul in 2012.
Ben Saunders Dead at 43
That year he won three TMF Awards and the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Dutch Act, and received three Edison Award nominations. He placed four singles in the Dutch Top 15.
His chart momentum slowed after 2013, though he remained a familiar presence in Dutch entertainment. He also worked as a tattoo artist, and was widely known in the Netherlands as “Tattoo Ben.”
Why this matters beyond the Netherlands
Most American viewers have never heard of The Voice of Holland. But the red chairs, the blind auditions, the coaches turning all of it was invented there, and Ben Saunders was the first person the format ever produced.
Fifteen years later, The Voice has run in more than 60 territories. Every winner in every version of the show came after him.
Ben Saunders questions answered
Who was Ben Saunders?
A Dutch singer, born in London in 1983, who won the first season of The Voice of Holland on January 21, 2011 making him the first winner of The Voice in any country. His hit “Kill for a Broken Heart” reached No. 1 on the Dutch Single Top 100, and his debut album entered the charts at No. 1.
How did Ben Saunders die?
No cause of death has been disclosed. He was reported missing on the morning of September 15, 2026, and his body was recovered that afternoon from the Rijkerswoerdse Plassen, a recreational lake south of Arnhem. Police have ruled out foul play. He was 43.
What is The Voice of Holland?
The original version of The Voice, created by Dutch media producer John de Mol and first broadcast on RTL 4 in September 2010. Its success led to the international franchise, which has since aired in more than 60 countries. The Voice premiered in the United States on NBC in April 2011.
Who won the first season of The Voice of Holland?
Ben Saunders, who took 59 percent of the public vote in the January 21, 2011 final, ahead of runner-up Pearl Jozefzoon. He was coached by Roel van Velzen. His blind audition performance of Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody” turned all four coaches.
Who is Dean Saunders?
Ben Saunders’ older brother and also a singer. He won the third season of the Dutch version of Popstars on January 22, 2011 one day after Ben won The Voice of Holland. The brothers had previously performed together in the band Follow That Dream and as a duo called The Brothers.
What songs was Ben Saunders known for?
“Kill for a Broken Heart,” his 2011 winner’s single, was his biggest hit, reaching No. 1 on the Dutch Single Top 100. He released two albums You Thought You Knew Me By Now (2011) and Heart & Soul (2012) and placed four singles in the Dutch Top 15.
If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available. In the United States, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached by calling or texting 988. In the Netherlands, 113 Zelfmoordpreventie is available at 113 or 0800-0113.
