SHAKE, BABY, SHAKE

There's been a hell of a lot of earthquake activity along the American west coast in the last couple of weeks: there's been very little interest in the media about it in the UK. Until, of course, Jamelia got caught in quake horror. Then, 3am swings into action:

We hear the Birmingham beauty was reading on her hotel balcony in LA on Thursday night when she felt the tremors, which measured 6.6 on the Richter scale.

A source close to the singer tells us: "She was terrified. It had been a long day and she was unwinding after recording her album. Then she suddenly felt the room shaking. Her first thought was for her baby.

"Luckily, no one was hurt and her boyfriend was there to calm her."

Although, being a city designed to cope with earthquakes, LA wasn't really in the grip of very much terror at all:

Melanie Ilies, who survived a major 1977 earthquake in Romania said, “I am not scared. If you survive a big earthquake, this is nothing.” Another Los Angeles resident Joe Malkin said, “I couldn't understand what all the hullabaloo was about.”

Still, at least the presence of a former pop star helped bring the matter to the British tabloid's attentions - perhaps we shoudl tether Geri halliwell in Yellowstone Park so they've got an angle ready in case the volcano erupts?

music jamelia