Olivia Culpo, Jeannie Mai Jenkins to host Miss Universe 2022; Catriona Gray serving as backstage commentator

Kristofer Purnell - Philstar.com January 5, 2023 | 11:59am

Composite image of Jeannie Mai Jenkins, Olivia Culpo, and Catriona Gray
Facebook / Jeannie Mai Jenkins, STAR / file

MANILA, Philippines — Former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo and television host Jeannie Mai Jenkins are confirmed to be the new hosts of Miss Universe 2022, the pageant's 71st edition which will be held in New Orleans.

Both Culpo and Jenkins take over hosting duties from television icon Steve Harvey, who has hosted the pageant since 2015 as a part of Fox's deal with Miss Universe which ended in 2022.

Miss Universe then signed a one-year deal to be streamed on The Roku Channel in English while Telemundo will be airing the event in Spanish.

Harvey will likely be best remembered for his initial stint on Miss Universe when he mistakenly announced Colombia's Ariadna Gutiérrez as Miss Universe 2015 when it fact it was the Philippines' Pia Wurtzbach-Alonso who was the actual winner; the issue was corrected and Wurtzbach-Alonso won the Philippines its third-ever crown.

Jenkins had actually hosted the pageant the year before Harvey began his stint while Culpo, alongside actor Mario Lopez, hosted the 2020 edition as it was in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, the Philippines' fourth winner, will be a backstage commentator alongside Emmy award-winner and "American Ninja Warrior” co-host Zuri Hall; it will be Gray's first time in a hosting capacity at Miss Universe.

Since being crowned Miss Universe a decade ago, Culpo has starred in the “The Culpo Sisters" series, served as a creative director for canned cocktail company Vide, with gigs as a model, actress, and content creator.

The year Culpo won Miss Universe, the Philippines' delegate Janine Tugonon was the first runner-up.

Jenkins has been a frequent commentator of past Miss Universe and Miss USA competitions, and has a Daytime Emmy to her name for hosting “The Real.”

The 71st Miss Universe will be on January 14, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. (January 15, 9:00 a.m. in the Philippines).

https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2023/01/05/2235520/olivia-culpo-jeannie-mai-jenkins-host-miss-universe-2022-catriona-gray-serving-backstage-commentator