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R'Bonney Gabriel

Dyan Castillejo

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1763472404020rbonney.jpg" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel </div>BANGKOK -- Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel is stepping back onto the Miss Universe stage in a new and exciting way, taking on multiple hosting roles for the 74th edition of the pageant.She shared her excitement as she prepared for the National Costume show, the Preliminary Competition, and the Finals backstage coverage.“I&#x27;m so excited. We&#x27;re actually in the middle of rehearsals right now. And I&#x27;m seeing the script and everything. It&#x27;s starting to feel more and more real. And I&#x27;m just excited for the opportunity. I love Bangkok. So, it&#x27;s good to be back here,” she said.Returning to Thailand feels sentimental for Gabriel, who spent a significant amount of her reign there. “During my years as Miss Universe, I feel like this was my second home. I was always here… So, I haven&#x27;t been back since my reign. So, it&#x27;s good to be back,” she said.Now stepping into a hosting position, she said her priority is making the candidates feel comfortable while keeping the audience engaged.“As a host, especially for Miss Universe, you really want the girls to be comfortable,” Gabriel stressed.At the same time, she thinks about the energy inside the venue. “I don&#x27;t want anybody to be bored… really feeding into the audience. And really just, if they&#x27;re maybe a little bit quiet, just get them to cheer. Because when the audience is loud, the girls feed off of it as well,&quot; she explained.With Miss Universe now welcoming around 120 delegates, Gabriel expressed her joy over the pageant’s growing global reach.“I think it&#x27;s great that more women have the opportunity to experience Miss Universe. It&#x27;s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. So, I love that there&#x27;s so much enthusiasm for the girls to compete,” she said.This year also marks three years since her own coronation. Despite the time passing quickly, Gabriel still considers it the highlight of her life, saying, “It was the best year ever. And it goes so fast. It really does.”When asked what she would tell the next Miss Universe, she reflected deeply on the pressures and joys of the crown. “It does go very quickly. Enjoy it! It gets tough, you&#x27;re not sleeping a lot, and there may be things that you don&#x27;t always have the energy to do;. But everything is such a great opportunity,” she said.Gabriel also emphasized the importance of relying on the Miss Universe team. “Just push through it and really lean on your support team to help you through because I think that&#x27;s one of the big blessings of Miss Universe. You have a team that&#x27;s helping guide you through all these once-in-a-lifetime experiences,” she said.Planning for the future, she added, starts immediately. “You start thinking about it on day one… You want to start putting things in place for your year after.”Gabriel also shared how special 2025 had been for her because she spent much of it living and working in the Philippines &quot;and that was a dream come true.”She revealed that living in the Philippines was something she had always imagined. “Actually, to live in the Philippines was always a dream of mine… After Miss Universe and my reign ended, I thought this is the perfect time to do it,” she said. “For me, it was exploring all the different provinces outside of Manila… Cotabato or even Davao… experiencing the different cultures of the Philippines. It&#x27;s so diverse.”Although she has since moved back to the U.S., she said, “I will always go back… but I don&#x27;t have my base there anymore.”With prelims and national costume shows only days away, Gabriel offered heartfelt advice to the competing delegates.“I think it&#x27;s a marathon… keep pacing yourself and showing up every single day. Give it your best,&quot; she shared. “Be very smart with where you&#x27;re putting your energy. And then mindset is always the most powerful thing… Every day you wake up confident that you&#x27;re going to conquer the day.”During her own competition, she relied on a personal ritual: “Mine was journaling five things I was grateful for… What am I doing today? And how am I going to deliver and feel my best?”For the Fil-Am beauty, fashion is both an important and expressive part of the Miss Universe journey. “It&#x27;s so importatnt, it&#x27;s a really fun opportunity to be stylish, express yourself through clothing.” Still, she reminds everyone that it&#x27;s not what defines the winner. “It shouldn&#x27;t be a competition for the best dress. It is a fun element to it, I think.”Looking back at what helped her win, Gabriel said, “I think it&#x27;s still the same core values. A woman that knows how to speak and communicate under pressure.”She also highlighted the weight of the interview portion. “I personally believe that&#x27;s so important. That&#x27;s when you really make the impact.”Gabriel confirmed she had her gowns planned well in advance during her competition. “It was all strategically planned out. I already knew what I was going to do.”As she wraps up her Miss Universe hosting duties, she looks forward to reuniting with family for Thanksgiving.“I&#x27;ll return back to Texas where my parents and my family are,&quot; she ended.

Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel is stepping back onto the Miss Universe stage in a new and exciting way, taking on multiple hosting roles for the 74th edition of the pageant.

Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel is stepping back onto the Miss Universe stage in a new and exciting way, taking on multiple hosting roles for the 74th edition of the pageant.

R'Bonney Gabriel cherishes return to Miss Universe stage as host

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R'Bonney Gabriel cherishes return to Miss Universe stage as host

Dyan Castillejo,

ABS-CBN News

Published November 18, 2025 09:45 PM PHT

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