Ben Saunders, the first winner in the history of ‘The Voice’, when the format was only broadcast in the Netherlands, has died at the age of 43. The police found his body this Tuesday, September 15, in a lake near Arnhem, after he was reported missing. He does not suspect foul play and the cause of death has not yet been reported.
In 2011, Saunders won the first edition of ‘The Voice of Holland’, the program that gave rise to an international franchise with versions such as ‘The Voice’ in the United States or ‘The Voice’ in Spain. It is the format that, in the United States, has catapulted successful careers such as those of Melanie Martinez or Morgan Wallen, although neither won the competition.
Saunders came onto the show with a cover of Kings of Leon’s ‘Use Somebody’ and won with ‘Kill for a Broken Heart’, which entered the Dutch Top 40. Their first album, ‘You Thought You Knew Me By Now’, reached number 1 in the Netherlands.
In recent years, Saunders had also appeared in the media for various legal issues, as Deadline reports. In 2016 he was sentenced to community service for attacking a traffic officer and subsequently had other run-ins with the law.
Saunders had also been linked to the Satudarah motorcycle club. His brother Dean, winner of ‘Popstars’ shortly after Ben’s victory on ‘The Voice’, was the one who confirmed his death on Instagram.
