Why is "search" on Apple Podcast App so slow on my iPhone?

On my Apple Podcast app, many functions are very slow: searching for a show, opening "latest episodes", etc. "Very slow" = 15-20 seconds. The only redeeming quality is that the delay is very consistent: if I wait 15-20 seconds, the answer shows up.

I have plenty of storage. I do "follow" a lot of shows (probably 70+), but none automatically download. This behavior stays the same across iPhone reboots, application resets, and multiple iOS versions.

It's really clumsy and disappointing, and I'm starting to transition over to Overcast.