Ariel Winter accused of imitating Kylie Jenner and 'attention seeking' in provocative bikini pics

Ariel Winter has been accused of "attention seeking" and copying Kylie Jenner following bikini photos taken by an obsequious friend who got down on their knees to get the perfect shot.

The 19-year-old Modern Family star – who is used to causing a stir on social media with provocative outfits or fashion choices – stripped down to her swimwear for the latest impromptu shoot.

The television star got a pal wearing very distressed white jeans to photograph her in the night-time as she posed by a swimming pool in three new shots for her Instagram profile.

She captioned the post: "Before&After" and it has garnered nearly 150k likes in a day from her 3.5m followers.

Many of her fans commented "Kylie Jenner" under the pictures as she resembled the reality television star with her dark locks, curvaceous figure, strappy black bikini and small upper-thigh tattoo.

Others criticised the star, with one person sarcastically commenting: "Good that you flaunt your body like that - best role model for young girls around the world. So, we can expect a bright future✌️".

One follower added: "Attention seeking as usual" as someone else put: "Stop flaunting your body. Put some clothes on. Y r a role model 4 young ladies."

Many praised the actress for her bold snaps, with her young fans aspiring to look like her. One said: "Totally amazing body" as another said: "This is the body I strive for."

Ariel has also been slammed for wearing revealing outfits that show off her assets. A recent Instagram shot showing a great deal of side-boob garnered many negative comments, with one follower telling her: "When was the last time she was covered in clothes?"

She recently hit out at the haters via an explosive Twitter rant, claiming: "Pretty annoyed about the focus on the fact that I wear shorts, and the commentary that I'm 'squeezing' into them or the idea that it's not okay for me to wear shorts.

"It's SUMMER. Get over it. It's hot, I'm obviously going to be wearing minimal clothes."