Ariel Winter had an instant connection with Levi Meaden.

Levi Meaden and Ariel Winter

Levi Meaden and Ariel Winter

The 19-year-old actress has been in a relationship with the 30-year-old actor for a year and she hoped when they met that there would be "something" significant between them.

She gushed: "I knew there was something about him from the moment I met him, honestly.

"It was like I met him, and I thought to myself, 'I don't know what it is, but there's something about him that's so interesting and maybe it will be nothing and maybe it will be something. But there's something here.' And it turns out it was a big something."

Ariel is keen for her and Levi to go on a double date with her 'Modern Family' screen sister Sarah Hyland and her new boyfriend Wells Adams.

She told 'Entertainment Tonight': "That would be pretty fun. I'd love it."

Ariel has played Alex in 'Modern Family' in 2009 and she's pleased she and her character are positive role models for girls in different ways.

She said: "I'm kind of on a different journey then Alex, but what I really like is that I can put out my own message aside from the show.

"Alex is going through a journey where she's struggling with... she's not insecure at the fact that she's the smart girl, and she doesn't really care that she doesn't want to get dolled up and whatever. But she goes through her social issues and she's struggling with how to like talk to people and make friends.

"But with me it's more like I struggle with people online and how they talk to me.

"And I think it's important that you kind of get to see two different aspects of what I go through. I go through some things with Alex, and then I go through things in my real life."