Anyone think this show would be better if it started out with less camp mates?

I think it would give more screen time to most of them.

Like all of them you mean - that would be good now I think.

Fewer

They could pay more for bigger names for a start

Get Ray Mears in.

Or maybe they're suggesting that each campmate has an extremity surgically removed on entry into the jungle?

I don't think the number of campmates has been the issue this year - especially bearing in mind that Spencer never entered the camp 'proper' and wasn't replaced - it has been the fact that the dreadful Lady C became the sole focus of the edit. Had she not done so, then others would have had more chance to shine and we may have ended up with a final 3 that wasn't just bland 20-somethings.

For instance, I think that Chris had a lot more to give and could have been a wonderful, quirky character. Kieron was a revelation as soon as Lady C went and he cheered up. Yvette also had an engaging personality that unfortunately got sucked down the dark plughole of Lady C's overbearing presence.

The number they start with (10-12) seems fine, to me.

They have two weeks to 'showcase' the celebs before the vote off begins, which is plenty of time. The flaw isn't the number of celebs, it's the editors/producers.