Ben Saunders, first winner of The Voice of Holland, found dead at 43
Ben Saunders, the British-born Dutch singer who won the inaugural season of "The Voice of Holland" in 2011, was found dead at the age of 43 at the Rijkerswoerdse Plassen recreational lake near Arnhem in the Netherlands…
Key takeaways
- Ben Saunders, the British-born Dutch singer who won the first season of "The Voice of Holland" in 2011, was found dead at age 43 on Tuesday, September 15.
- His body was recovered from the water at the Rijkerswoerdse Plassen recreational lake near Arnhem, Netherlands, at 1:20 p.m. local time.
- Police Unit East Netherlands confirmed the discovery, ruled out foul play, and disclosed no cause of death.
- Saunders released his debut album "You Thought You Knew Me by Now" in April 2011, featuring the hit "Kill for a Broken Heart," and a second album in 2012 before returning to work as a tattoo artist.
- He is survived by his fiancée Janita and his three children.
Ben Saunders, the British-born Dutch singer who won the inaugural season of "The Voice of Holland" in 2011, was found dead at the age of 43 at the Rijkerswoerdse Plassen recreational lake near Arnhem in the Netherlands on Tuesday, September 15. Police recovered his body from the water at 1:20 p.m. local time. No cause of death has been disclosed.
The Police Unit East Netherlands confirmed the discovery to People magazine and said foul play has been ruled out. The unit declined to release personal details. Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf and DutchNews first reported the news.
Saunders won "The Voice of Holland" after the show premiered in 2010, a competition format that went on to inspire adaptations across the globe, including the American version, which debuted in the United States in 2011. He released his debut album, "You Thought You Knew Me by Now," in April 2011, which featured "Kill for a Broken Heart," one of his biggest hits. A second album followed in 2012, after which he returned to his earlier career as a tattoo artist while continuing to make music.
His older brother Dean paid tribute on Instagram, posting a childhood photograph of the two of them. "My dear little brother passed away today," Dean wrote. "What a terrible day for all of us." He described the loss as pain unlike anything he had experienced before. The brothers had shared a business together called Tattoo Saunders, and Dean posted a second tribute there, writing that Ben "will never be forgotten."
Marco Borsato, a former coach on "The Voice of Holland," shared two tributes on Instagram, including video of Saunders performing on the show and a photograph of the two of them on stage. "Dear, special man, my heart is crying. I can't find words for the emptiness you leave behind," Borsato wrote, directing his words to Saunders's fiancée, Janita, and to the wider family. Saunders is survived by Janita and his three children.
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