Inaugural The Voice of Holland winner Ben Saunders dies at 43 in Elst lake

Discovery at Rijkerswoerdse Plassen

Police recovered the body of 43-year-old singer Ben Saunders from the Rijkerswoerdse Plassen, a recreational lake in Elst near Arnhem South, at approximately 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday, 15 September 2026. Family members and close friends had reported him missing earlier that morning after losing contact overnight. Emergency personnel launched a search operation, deploying divers, sniffer dogs, rescue boats, and a police helicopter across the lake. Officers also conducted checks at his local residence in Arnhem during the operation. Witnesses at the scene reported seeing a man enter the water for a swim before disappearing beneath the surface. Police Unit East Netherlands confirmed that investigators ruled out foul play, though authorities have not yet announced an official cause of death.

Television breakthrough and musical career

Saunders rose to prominence in 2011 after winning the inaugural season of The Voice of Holland, the Dutch television format created by John de Mol that expanded into more than 150 international adaptations. Born in London before moving with his family to Hoorn in the Netherlands, Saunders auditioned for the show with a rendition of the Kings of Leon track "Use Somebody". His finale song, "Kill for a Broken Heart", reached number one on the Dutch music charts alongside his debut studio album, You Thought You Knew Me By Now. Prior to his solo breakthrough, he performed regularly with his brother Dean, including an appearance in the 2003 Dutch Eurovision Song Contest selection. Saunders stepped away from regular pop releases in subsequent years, though he returned to competitive television on the SBS talent program Avastars in 2023.

Tributes from family and mentors

News of the singer's death emerged through social media statements published by his brother Dean Saunders, who had won the Dutch television show Popstars a single day after Ben won The Voice of Holland. Dean shared a childhood photograph of the two brothers and asked for public respect during the family's bereavement.

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...

Former coach Marco Borsato, who mentored Saunders to victory on the program in 2011, shared clips of their duet performances and addressed the artist's sudden loss. Borsato extended condolences to Saunders' partner and fiancée, Janita Engels, along with the rest of his immediate family.

I cannot find words for the void you leave behind

The tattoo studio operated by the brothers in Arnhem, Tattoo Saunders, also posted a tribute stating that Saunders would never be forgotten.

Personal struggles and later years

In the years following his television victory, Saunders transitioned into operating a tattoo parlor in Arnhem, becoming known locally as Tattoo Ben. His later years included several legal and personal challenges, including a 2016 court ruling that sentenced him to community service and ordered financial restitution for assaulting a traffic official and damaging a bar. Media reports also documented his membership in the Satudarah motorcycle club, a group dissolved by judicial order in the Netherlands in 2020. Saunders spoke openly about physical ailments in early 2026, explaining that three herniated discs forced him to rely on a walking cane during live performances. Facing housing and financial difficulties, Saunders had relocated with his partner to a caravan at a campsite in Arnhem prior to his death.