EMB-145 Flight Attendant reported communications issues complicated an air turn back situation; resulting in the passengers not being properly briefed.

Narrative

I was working Aircraft X to ZZZ and it had seemed to be like any other flight; until I noticed that the Sterile light hadn't gone off after a while. The Captain had called through the normal Pilot button on the inter phone and informed me that the landing gear wouldn't go up and that we would have to go back to ZZZ1. I didn't think much of it because he didn't make it seem like [he was requesting landing priority]. I had told him that he should be the one to tell the passengers what the problem was so that I wouldn't misinform them of the situation. We keep going for a while and then I get a call on the normal Pilot button and the Captain said that we're going back to ZZZ1 now.Probably 10-15 minutes later; I hear the 2 high/low chimes go off so I know we have a little while before we land. Upon hearing those chimes; the passengers started looking at me with concern and wonder in their eyes because it had been a while since the Captain told them that we were going back to ZZZ1. I didn't know much information except for that we were going back because of the landing gear; so I told the passengers that we would be landing soon; to keep their seat belts fastened; and that we would fix the problem and then get them on their way to ZZZ. We deplane and the maintenance guys come on and then they said that someone wanted to talk to me. A Gate Agent came on and asked if I did any immediate cabin preparation. I told him I'm not sure and to ask my Captain. He said no; did you do any [priority] prep and I said no; because I didn't even know that it was an urgent situation. The crew gets off because we're plane swapping and that's when the Captain says that yeah it was an urgent situation and I didn't really give you a proper Brief.