Podcasts randomly pausing on Android

[PhoebeRaven]

Plan

Premium

Country

United Kingdom

Device

Google Pixel 2

Operating System

Android 9

My Question or Issue

Ever since the recent update to the app, podcasts randomly keep pausing and it makes no difference if I have other apps running, the screen locked or not etc.
It almost seems that the minimised view of the app status that I can see when dragging down from the top is not related to the status if I actually open the app full screen.
The minimised view will show the podcast playing, the full view of the app will show it paused.

If I then click play again, the podcast continues to play, but it skips ahead a few seconds or sometimes even a more.

The app also no longer reliably saves the "last listened" position on podcasts and picks up in random locations. 

I can also no longer replay previously listened to episodes.

I have tried re-installing the app, force signing out everywhere, restarting my phone. Nothing has helped.

In short: this new update with its UI redesign broke podcast replay entirely for me and so this app is pretty much a waste of money for me at the moment.