Welcome to Paradise

CBC Podcasts

Love, marriage… and a secret history of trauma. Anna Maria Tremonti has been keeping her past a secret for over 40 years. As one of Canada’s most respected journalists, she has a reputation for being fearless and hard-hitting. She’s reported from some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones. But none were as immediately threatening as life at home. In her early 20s, she fell in love with a man who seemed worldly and charming. Behind closed doors he was incredibly violent. They were only married for a year but the consequences of the abuse have lasted a lifetime. This is the first time Anna Maria has told anyone—including family or close friends—the details of what she endured. Working with her therapist, she reveals the intimate details of a past she’s kept to herself for most of her life. The result is a profoundly intimate portrait of a powerful woman confronting the source of tremendous pain and trauma and, remarkably, freeing herself from a life-long sense of shame. Written and hosted by Anna Maria Tremonti (The Current), produced by Daemon Fairless (Hunting Warhead, Boys Like Me) and mixed by Mira Burt-Wintonick (Wiretap, Love Me, Sorry About The Kid).

  • 34 minutes 7 seconds
    Welcome to Paradise Introduces | Personally: Toy Soldier

    As a child, Alex Kurzem faced a choice: be killed or join the killers.


    In the midst of the Second World War, he was separated from his family and taken in by a group of soldiers as one of their own. He was made a member of Hitler’s army – a toy soldier with his own rifle and miniature SS uniform.


    But what the soldiers didn’t know and what no one would know for decades: he was a Jewish boy masquerading as a Nazi to save his life.


    Alex lives with this false identity for so long, he no longer remembers who he was before – forgetting his parents’ faces, his birthday, his own name. But before he dies, Alex is determined to find the identity and family stolen from him during the Holocaust. 


    This is the story Alex would tell the world decades later, but doubts quickly took hold and wouldn’t let go. Could a story so unbelievable be true? Or is this a con to profit from the Holocaust? Eighty years on, is it possible to uncover who Alex really is? Host Dan Goldberg unravels the true story.


    Get lost in someone else’s life. From a mysterious childhood spent on the run, to a courageous escape from domestic violence, each season of Personally invites you to explore the human experience in all its complexity, one story — or season — at a time.


    More episodes of Personally: Toy Soldier are available at: https://link.mgln.ai/pbe7AV

    24 February 2025, 4:02 pm
  • 16 minutes 4 seconds
    The story Anna Maria never thought she’d tell: On stage at Hot Docs
    For Anna Maria Tremonti, the decision to speak publicly about being abused by a former partner was complex; she wanted to tell it, but didn’t know how. Live on stage at the Hot Docs festival, Anna Maria unpacks what led her to creating Welcome to Paradise, and how the release of the podcast reconnected her with someone she never thought she’d hear from again.
    16 May 2023, 8:10 am
  • 32 minutes 52 seconds
    Ep. 6: "The Visitation"
    Anna Maria makes a trip to find out more about Pat's past and confirms something she’d suspected. If you or someone you know is affected by intimate partner violence, you can find a list of resources at https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/resource-list-welcome-to-paradise-1.6328619. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/welcome-to-paradise-transcripts-listen-1.6803405
    15 March 2022, 8:10 am
  • 31 minutes 21 seconds
    Ep. 5: "The Message"
    As Anna Maria prepares to contact Pat, she makes a startling discovery. If you or someone you know is affected by intimate partner violence, you can find a list of resources at https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/resource-list-welcome-to-paradise-1.6328619. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/welcome-to-paradise-transcripts-listen-1.6803405
    8 March 2022, 9:10 am
  • 29 minutes 9 seconds
    Ep. 4: “The Long Tail”
    Getting out is only half the battle. After separating from her abusive husband, Anna Maria faces the most dangerous period of the relationship… and long-term emotional fallout that follows her for years. If you or someone you know is affected by intimate partner violence, you can find a list of resources at https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/resource-list-welcome-to-paradise-1.6328619. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/welcome-to-paradise-transcripts-listen-1.6803405
    1 March 2022, 9:10 am
  • 33 minutes 22 seconds
    Ep. 3: “L is for Love”
    Anna Maria is living a double life. In public she and Pat seem like the perfect couple. At home, he’s becoming increasingly violent. If you or someone you know is affected by intimate partner violence, you can find a list of resources at https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/resource-list-welcome-to-paradise-1.6328619. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/welcome-to-paradise-transcripts-listen-1.6803405
    22 February 2022, 9:10 am
  • 29 minutes 52 seconds
    Ep. 2: “See What You Made Me Do”
    Pat seems charming, funny and worldly – the perfect husband. But shortly after their wedding, Anna Maria discovers the man she’s married is an entirely different person behind closed doors. If you or someone you know is affected by intimate partner violence, you can find a list of resources at https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/resource-list-welcome-to-paradise-1.6328619. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/welcome-to-paradise-transcripts-listen-1.6803405
    14 February 2022, 9:11 pm
  • 30 minutes 4 seconds
    Ep. 1: “One of Those People You Hear About”
    Ready to reveal her longest-held secret, Anna Maria Tremonti talks to her therapist about a trauma from 40 years ago that’s the source of shame and self-loathing. She’s reported on gender-based violence many times as a journalist, including from war zones – but this time, she’s telling her own story. If you or someone you know is affected by intimate partner violence, you can find a list of resources at https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/resource-list-welcome-to-paradise-1.6328619. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/welcome-to-paradise-transcripts-listen-1.6803405
    14 February 2022, 9:00 pm
  • 2 minutes 19 seconds
    Introducing: Welcome to Paradise
    The secret's out. As one of Canada’s most respected journalists, Anna Maria Tremonti has a reputation for being fearless. She’s reported from some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones. But there’s one story she’s never made public: when she was 23 years old, she married a man who beat her. Their marriage only lasted one year but the consequences of that abuse lasted a lifetime. Now she's telling her own story. Welcome to Paradise launches February 15. If you or someone you know is affected by intimate partner violence, you can find a list of resources at cbc.ca/WTPresources.
    8 February 2022, 6:05 pm
  • 1 minute 11 seconds
    Teaser: Welcome to Paradise | Content Warning
    Content warning: contains descriptions of intimate partner violence. Please take care when listening. Anna Maria Tremonti is sharing a 40-year secret. She reported from some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones – but none of them were as immediately threatening as life at home. Welcome to Paradise launches Feb. 15. If you or someone you know is affected by intimate partner violence, you can find a list of resources at cbc.ca/WTPresources.
    20 January 2022, 5:10 am
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