The Voice winner Ben Saunders dies aged 43 after he was reported missing
The Voice winner Ben Saunders dies aged 43 after he was reported missing
Fran Winston & Scarlett O'TooleThu, September 17, 2026 at 7:27 AM UTC
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Ben Saunders has died -Credit:GettyThe Voice winner Ben Saunders has died aged 43 after his body was found in the water near Arnhem in the Netherlands, following a search operation after he was reported missing
The Voice winner Ben Saunders has sadly died at the age of 43.
The London-born performer had been reported missing and following an extensive search operation, his body was recovered from the water at the Rijkerswoerdse Plassen near Arnhem in the Netherlands on Tuesday, September 15.
Authorities have reportedly ruled out any suspicious circumstances. His older brother Dean, who won the third season of the Dutch music competition Popstars — just one day after Ben's own victory on the Dutch version of The Voice — confirmed the devastating news in an emotional Instagram post. It comes as NBC confirmed the death of reporter Eliana Moreno after a horror Los Angeles helicopter crash.
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Posting a childhood photo of the two brothers together, Dean wrote, "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... Ben had a beautiful family and relatives who love him dearly-and I always will, too... Ben is in my heart, and he will stay there forever."
Ben Saunders had been reported missing -Credit:Getty
Just three days earlier, Ben had shared his final social media post, featuring himself and his fiancée Janita Engels at a wedding where he had performed for the happy couple.
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Ben, who was also a tattoo artist widely known as Tattoo Ben, moved to the Netherlands with his family at just three years old. Both he and Dean share a lengthy history of competing on television talent shows. Back in 2000, the brothers took part in Alles voor de band: Follow that dream, becoming members of the band Follow That Dream (F.T.D.), which secured a deal with the Dino Music record label.
Their debut single, the self-titled Follow That Dream, dropped in November 2000 and climbed to No. 25 in the Dutch Top 40, but the band disbanded six months later.
In 2003, he and Dean competed in the Dutch Nationaal Songfestival, a music pre-selection contest for qualification to the Eurovision Song Contest. They performed the song Stand As One in the third heat under the name The Brothers, getting just 10 points and finishing with 3% of the popular vote as seventh out of 8 participants.
During his appearance on The Voice of Holland, which airs on RTL 4, he wowed the coaches with his performance of Kings of Leon's Use Somebody during his audition. He joined the team of popular Dutch singer-songwriter Roel van Velzen and ultimately claimed victory in the final in January 2011.
Tributes poured in for the beloved star as news of the tragedy broke. On Facebook, one fan commented, "I haven't really followed him since, but that season of The Voice...he won...was one of the best. I was glued to the screen. It is so incredibly sad for his family and friends that he is no longer with us. Wishing strength and courage to everyone who loved him."
Another added, "Rest in peace, Ben. A sad end; wishing strength to everyone who loved him." A third chimed in, "...It's terrible. Unimaginable. I wish his family, friends, and everyone who loved him lots of strength."
A fourth shared, "A huge loss. My condolences to his family and friends on the loss of Ben. Wishing you strength during this difficult time." A fifth reflected, "Terrible. My condolences and wishing lots of strength to his family and everyone close to him."
Meanwhile, a sixth wrote, "I'm shaken. What terrible news; I want to wish strength to everyone who loved him and was close to him. Sometimes words just aren't enough, and this is one of those times. Far too young, with a beautiful family and so many plans for the future. It's impossible to comprehend."
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
