Did Gordon Ramsay just say something nice about someone else?

With his four-letter rants and straight-talking style, Gordon Ramsay has built a reputation as one of the toughest television chefs.

He takes a similarly no-nonsense approach on Twitter, where he entertains his 5.11million followers with his typically blistering critiques of their "s***", "gross" and "depressing" attempts in the kitchen.

So it is of little wonder that the 50-year-old chef sent fans into a frenzy when he broke with tradition and complimented a photograph of a fan's dish.

User Bridgett, from Florida, asked Ramsay what he thought of the mouth-watering skillet pork loin her fiance had prepared for dinner. 

To the shock of followers, Ramsay replied: "Marry him."

The positive tweet sparked a flurry of responses from incredulous fans, with one writing: "Did Gordon just say something good about someone else?" 

Another posted: "Wow a compliment? UNEXPECTED," while several others posted gifs and graphics to illustrate their disbelief.

A user named Reed wrote: "This is the first positive reaction I've seen from him," and another tweeted: "HE SAID SOMETHING NICE!!"

A handful pointed out that while Ramsay is known for his expletive-ridden criticisms on shows like Hell's Kitchen, the father-of-four does often show his softer side while working with children on MasterChef Junior.

Meanwhile one thought the post was so out of character that he jokingly asked whether his Twitter account had been "hacked".

Bridgette was especially pleased with the feedback and assured Ramsay she would marry the hotshot amateur chef. 

However within minutes order was restored when Ramsay told a follower she should "go see a doctor" after seeing a picture of her plate of chicken nuggets. 

This article was first published on Daily Mail and is republished here with permission.