A 5.4 grade earthquake hit the American Big Brother house on Tuesday.

The reality show contestants felt tremors from the quake and immediately gathered in the garden when the incident occurred in Los Angeles earlier this week.

Housemate Michelle commented: "Now I know why I don’t want to live in California. At least I get a warning when there’s a hurricane or a blizzard coming."

Initially, fellow contestant Jerry speculated that the shake may have been caused by Big Brother or a truck being crashed into the compound.

At the quake's epicenter in California, there were structural damage, several injuries, and reports of people stuck in lifts.

The natural disaster also affected filming of Judge Judy nearby, which was brought to a halt when the quake began.