Ben Saunders, first-ever Voice winner, found dead in Dutch lake
Ben Saunders, who won the first Voice season in 2011, was found dead in a Netherlands lake.
Ben Saunders won the first season of The Voice when it aired in the Netherlands in 2011, performing Kings of Leon's Use Somebody in his audition. Ben Saunders' winning song, Kill for a Broken Heart, reached No. 4 in the Dutch Top 40.
Born in London, he moved to the Netherlands as a child and ran a tattoo parlour in Arnhem. Ben Saunders was reported missing on Tuesday morning; his body was found in the Rijkerswoerdse Plassen lake at 1.20pm local time.
A bystander had reported seeing a man walk into the water and not return. Police launched a search involving dog squads and helicopters.
Dutch police said there were no suspicious circumstances, though they have not yet released a cause of death. He was engaged to his partner Janita and father of three children.
His brother Dean confirmed his death in a social media post.
- 2011, Netherlands
- First Voice winner
- No. 4 in Dutch Top 40
- Winning song chart position
- Rijkerswoerdse Plassen lake, Arnhem
- Location found
- 1.20pm, Tuesday
- Time of discovery
Why it mattersThe death of a pioneering reality TV winner marks the loss of a figure who helped launch one of the world's most successful singing competition franchises.
AustraliaNo direct Australian effect, though The Voice format became hugely popular in Australia and has aired locally for over a decade on major networks.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 8 d ago
