Catriona Gray will return for the second time as the backstage correspondent for this year's Miss Universe pageant.

The beauty queen remarked that she is happy and honored to take part in the pageant once again.

"I am super honored to be invited back as backstage correspondent again for my second year. Also because I love the feeling of being there. Of course I've experienced being a candidate. I've experienced being a reigning [Miss Universe]] and giving my title to the next one in line. And being back there, feeling the fans' energy and also seeing our country being so proudly represented on stage, I am so happy to be part of it," she said in an interview with ABS-CBN News and other media before her flight to El Salvador for the pageant.

Joining her as backstage correspondent will be Emmy award-winner Zuri Hall who was also her co-host last year.

In the same interview, Catriona was asked on what she thought of this year's Philippine representative Michelle Dee's performance in the preliminary rounds of Miss Universe.

"I think she made us very, very proud. Sobrang solid ng performance niya. Because I am such a believer that the competition starts sa preliminaries talaga. Of course having a great arrival impression and also carrying yourself well holds it merit but it really comes time to shine when it's the preliminary competition and I really feel  like that she delivered so sobrang excited ako and I feel like we are going to do very well this year," she remarked.

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When asked how she can describe Michelle as a "queen," Catriona replied: "I feel like she knows what she wants and I can see the work she's put in. I think all of us can see 'yung improvements niya that she's made from her Miss World journey pa lang to Miss Universe Philippines and now to the Miss Universe stage. She's really taking her strides and really owning  the moment. I love to see a queen with a direct vision and I really feel she really has that."

Catriona relayed that she got to have a conversation with Michelle a few months ago. On the advice she gave her, she said that she highlighted to Michelle the essence of preparations and owning her journey in the Miss Universe pageant.

"I was able to have a conversation with her few months before she left so it was mostly about preparations, what she can expect going into the competition but siyempre it changes year per year so what I've experienced nung 2018 would be different in 2023. I just told her to really stick to her vision because at the end of the day ang daming makakatulong sa 'yo, you have camps, or maybe people around you giving you advice but at the end of the day it's you who is there representing the Philippines so own your journey, be unapologetic about it and I can see she's really taking that advice to heart," she stated.

The live broadcast of the Miss Universe 2023 pageant from El Salvador will take place on November 19 at 9 a.m. (Philippine time). It will be aired on the Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, Metro Channel, and iWantTFC.