A versatile British character actor of stage and screen, Blakeley was born and raised in the Derbyshire mining town of Bolsover. He is a popular face on television, having appeared in numerous soaps, television dramas and commercials. Blakeley first came to public attention as PC Geoff Younger, when he joined the cast of Heartbeat, originally for six episodes. Such was his popularity he remained a regular in the show for over one hundred episodes. In 2006, he was a nominee in the category of Most Popular Newcomer at the National Television Awards.

A consummate stage actor, Blakeley has numerous stage credits to his name, in genres ranging from Shakespeare, to new writing, to traditional British pantomime. He is also much in demand as a compere and has lent his voice to a range of recordings.