Now Playing app no longer works

All of a sudden Now Playing is no longer working to control what I am listening to on my phone from my watch. I suspect this issue arose after a recent iOS update but I can't be sure. I have tried everything (including resetting my watch, unpairing and re-pairing it to my phone, deleting and re-downloading the Now Playing app, and trying to use it with different apps such as Podcasts, Pandora, Youtube, and Music). This is incredibly frustrating as it was one of the many features that I enjoyed about my watch and I found it especially helpful when on walks or when my phone was not quite within my reach.

Short of making a trip to the Apple store, any advice or thoughts on how to resolve this??

For reference, I have the Apple Watch SE (+GPS) and the iPhone XR. I believe both devices are up to date.