Ben Saunders, the London-born singer who triumphed in the inaugural series of The Voice of Holland, has died at the age of 43.
His body was recovered from the Rijkerswoerdse Plassen, a recreational lake situated between Arnhem and Elst in the Netherlands, at approximately 1:20pm on Tuesday.
Mr Saunders had been reported missing earlier that morning, prompting a major search operation.
Police confirmed that criminal activity had been excluded as a factor in his death, though no cause has been disclosed.
Ben Saunders won the first-ever series of The Voice in its first incarnation in the Netherlands
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Relatives and close friends verified the singer’s death to Dutch media after the discovery.
Although formal identification had not yet taken place, Mr Saunders was recognisable by his numerous distinctive tattoos and was a well-known figure in the Gelderland area.
His older brother Dean, himself a winner of the Dutch talent competition Popstars in 2011, shared the devastating news on Instagram alongside a photograph of the pair as young boys.
“My dear little brother has passed away. I have never experienced pain like this before,” he wrote. “What a terrible day for all of us. We have to learn to live with this, and I hope it is treated with respect.”
Mr Saunders’s brother added: “Ben had a beautiful family and relatives who love him dearly. I, too, will always love him. Ben is in my heart, and he will stay there forever.”
Mr Saunders was born in London but relocated to the Netherlands with his English parents when he was just three years old, growing up in the Noord-Holland town of Hoorn before eventually settling in Arnhem.
Ben Saunders was 43 at the time of his death
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He and his brother had spent years pursuing musical success together. In the early 2000s, they formed a band called Follow That Dream, whose debut single reached number 25 in the Dutch Top 40 before the group disbanded six months later.
The brothers also competed in the 2003 Dutch Eurovision selection contest under the name The Brothers, finishing seventh.
Mr Saunders’s breakthrough arrived in January 2011 when he captivated The Voice of Holland coaches with a performance of Kings of Leon’s Use Somebody during his audition.
Mentored by singer-songwriter Roel van Velzen, he went on to claim the series title.
His winning track, Kill for a Broken Heart, climbed to number four in the Dutch Top 40, whilst his debut solo album, You Thought You Knew Me by Now, reached the top of the charts upon its release in April 2011. A second record, Heart & Soul, followed the next year.
Just three days before his death, Mr Saunders had posted on social media showing himself and his fiancée Janita Engels performing at a wedding.
The Voice was created by Dutch media moguls John de Mol Jr. and Roel van Velzen in 2011. Its UK adaptation began in 2013 on BBC One.
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