SAD REALITY

First Winner of ‘The Voice’ Found Dead at 43

Ben Saunders had been reported missing hours earlier.

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Ben Saunders, the winner of the first-ever edition of The Voice, was found dead Tuesday afternoon in a lake in the Netherlands. The 43-year-old had been missing since morning. Police say they have ruled out foul play but no cause of death has been announced, according to Dutch public broadcaster NOS. The singer’s brother, Dean Saunders, announced the news in a tribute on social media. London-born Saunders was raised in Hoorn, a town 32 miles north of Amsterdam. In 2011, he won the first season of The Voice of Holland, which later launched a global franchise of televised singing competitions. That same year, Saunders’ debut album, “You Thought You Knew Me By Now,” reached number one in the Netherlands. Saunders also ran a tattoo shop in the Dutch city of Arnhem, where he lived, but his body was found at Rijkerswoerdse Plassen about 8 miles south. The Sun reports that Saunders is survived by his fiancée, Janita Engels, and his three children.